Kit Carson House presenters outline drainage repairs, new QR audio exhibit and $750,000 federal grant match

Martin Jaggers, president of the board of the nonprofit that manages the Kit Carson House and Museum, told Taos County commissioners the organization completed a courtyard drainage project and installed six QR audio-code stations funded in part by a Taos County Lodgers Tax grant. He and project staff played a short, roughly four-minute video documenting the work and the museum’s public-education goals.

The presentation centered on preservation work to protect the 1825 adobe house and interpret its history for visitors. “We have documented that the structure is in a very poor state and at risk of catastrophic collapse,” Jaggers said, explaining phase 1 addressed courtyard drainage to divert water away from the base of adobe walls. Archaeologist Steven Post said four test pits were examined and “we have found no deposits that have integrity,” a statement the project framed as evidence the testing did not reveal intact archaeological deposits in those pits.

The presenters described installing three large concrete vaults in the courtyard to funnel water away from the structures and listed the roof as the next major restoration project. Chris Larson, the project director, said the permanent QR stands provide one-minute audio segments to introduce visitors to the house and to encourage them to take the full tour. The video and QR production were credited to Gizmo Productions; presenters also said a CNN affiliate filmed several Taos sites and interviewed Carson family descendants for a multi-part series on westward expansion.

Project leaders announced a National Park Service Save America’s Treasures grant of $750,000 for the site and said they must match that award with another $750,000. "We are in the process of doing that," Chris Larson said, listing ongoing grant applications, fundraising and a planned application for a state Destination Tourism grant this March. The nonprofit said it has engaged Henry Architects of Taos to begin restoration design work and invited the public to visit the site and support the work at kitcarsonhouse.org.

An unidentified county commissioner thanked the presenters, tied the museum work to the county’s plaza and courthouse restoration efforts, and disclosed that he serves on the museum’s board. Commissioners did not take formal action during the presentation; presenters described ongoing fundraising and grant applications and said restoration work is expected to proceed as matching funds and design work are secured.