Historic Mesilla house set for demolition following July fire

By Steve Ramirez

sramirez@lcsun-news.com @SteveRamirez6 on Twitter

Tony Schaefer picks up bricks during the demolition of his home, which was on the National Historic Register. Sadly, the home was completely destroyed by a fire earlier this year. (Robin Zielinski Sun-News)

MESILLA >> On the last day of 2014, Tony Schaefer had a bittersweet sentiment: Out with the old.

On Wednesday, Schaefer and a work crew began demolition of a house that historic preservationists believe was originally built about 1890. It was the house Schaefer has owned for 12 years, and where he and his wife, Annette, raised their children.

A July 10 fire destroyed the home. The cause of the fire remains undetermined. Since then, Schaefer, a former state Public Regulation Commission member, has worked extensively with his insurance company to arrange some kind of settlement on the property. The house is considered a total loss and Schaefer said he had no choice but to raze the house and sell the property.

In 1915, then-owner C.T. Turney enlarged the original house, turning it into a two-story farmhouse that eventually included eight bedrooms and three bathrooms. The second floor of the farm house even had a ballroom. The home was destroyed by fire in July 2014. (Courtesy of Eric Liefeld Mesilla Valley Preservation)

The house has been on the New Mexico and U.S. Historic Registers since 1982.

"I'm afraid all we're going to have now is photos and memories," said Schaefer, his voice cracking. "The main house is structurally unsound. It's an absolutely unsafe condition."

Reluctantly, the Mesilla board of trustees OK'd a demolition permit. But that didn't come before months of evaluation about whether the house could be saved.

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Historic Mesilla house set for demolition following July fire