Historic board retains contributing status for 401 East Palace residence, garage and yard walls

The Historic Districts Review Board voted to retain contributing status for the single-family residence at 401 East Palace Avenue, its accessory garage and the property’s yard walls after a status review at its July 2025 meeting.

Staff recommended upgrading the main house and garage to "significant" on the grounds that the 1937 territorial revival residence and later accessory elements retain high historic integrity and are associated with Lyda Brasher White, a locally influential educator and preservation advocate. Lanny, the staff presenter, summarized the property’s features and history and said staff "recommends that the historic status of the residential structure be upgraded to significant, the accessory structure be upgraded to significant, and the yard walls be designated as contributing per section 14-5.2(c)."

Owner representatives and several speakers urged the board to retain contributing status. An applicant representative said the family’s plan is to return the building to a single-family residence and that an upgrade to significant could impose constraints that would hinder necessary interior and modest exterior changes. Tom Abrams, who said the property had been owned and used as a dental practice, and Krista Walker, who identified family ties to the property, told the board they supported preserving the walls and agreed the house contributes to the streetscape but asked that the house remain contributing rather than be upgraded to significant.

Members discussed architectural details cited in the staff report: the house’s hollow clay (pen) tile construction, brick coping, wide plate-like stucco (“alligator” texture in the HCPI report), grouped 6-over-6 wood sash windows, and the cobblestone and limestone yard walls capped with glazed tiles. Board members noted that some fenestration and door conditions on the property do not meet current design standards (for example, the typical three-foot-from-corner window guidance), but staff advised that if those features are historic they should be preserved rather than altered to meet the contemporary standard.

Public comment focused on the yard walls and neighborhood context. Margaret Beatty, who said she walks past the house daily, urged preservation: "I love the wall, the fireplace that's built into the rocks...I just feel like if you guys change that to or if you make it less than contributing, it's just gonna take away a very special part of Santa Fe." Staff and the applicants said two removed trees in front of the house were invasive Siberian elms and were taken out after arborist review because they threatened the building’s foundations.

After discussion, board member motioned to retain the contributing status for the main residence (with the south and west facades designated primary), to retain contributing status for the accessory garage (south and west facades primary), and to designate all yard walls on the property as contributing. The motion passed by roll call.

The board’s decision leaves the property eligible for design review as a contributing resource rather than subject to the more restrictive controls typically applied to properties designated significant. The applicants said they intend to pursue rehabilitation that preserves the walls and the house’s character while addressing structural cracking, settling in corners and interior reuse. Staff reminded owners that future exterior changes or permits will be reviewed under contributing-structure standards and that items such as window placement, paint, and wall repairs should be handled in keeping with the board’s guidance.

The board also noted that because the yard walls are historically intact, they are a key element of the streetscape and should be prioritized for preservation regardless of the house’s status.