Randall Davey Home and Art Collection

The National Audubon Society has owned the Randall Davey Audubon Center & Sanctuary since 1983. It encompasses 135 acres of land including the historical Randall Davey House. Listed in national, state and city registers of historic and cultural buildings, the house, which is now maintained as a museum, is the original mill building. The 16-inch thick stone walls are now covered by plaster, but the massive, roughly hewn, beamed ceilings of the mill are still visible. The mill’s former storeroom was converted to an art studio by Randall Davey. He added large north-facing windows, which look out on the slopes of Santa Fe Canyon.

The property was originally part of the Talaya Hill Grant given in 1731 to Manuel Trujillo. Situated three miles from the Plaza, it was primarily used for grazing and woodcutting until the U.S. Army quartermaster built the stone sawmill here in order to provide lumber for the building of Fort Marcy.

In 1852, the property was sold to the well-known trader and trapper Colonel Ceran St. Vrain for $550. It included, one grist mill, one circular sawmill with extra gearing, the building for said sawmill is a good two story building, built for that purpose. Also two dwelling houses and one stable. In 1856, St. Vrain sold the mill machinery to Joseph Hersch and Isaiah Smith who established a new mill downstream on the Santa Fe River.

The property then passed through a series of owners, including Captain Candelario Martinez who purchased it in 1892. Martinez was an attorney, postmaster and probate judge in Santa Fe. During his ownership the land was cultivated in corn, oats, alfalfa and fruit trees. A story is told about the two impressive cottonwoods in front. Following a visit to Washington, DC, Martinez brought back two saplings packed in his suitcase, and planted them here around the turn of the century.

In 1920 Randall Davey purchased the property and converted the sawmill into his home. He lived and painted here for the next 44 years. (more about Randall Davey)

Living Room		Fireplace