Cornerstones Community Partnerships
Santa Fe, Northern NM
Preserving historic adobe churches and community buildings across New Mexico and the Southwest through hands-on, community-led restoration.
About
Cornerstones Community Partnerships is a Santa Fe-based nonprofit that works to preserve historic structures, traditional building practices, and cultural heritage across New Mexico and the Southwest. Founded in 1986, the organization specializes in the restoration of historic adobe churches and community buildings, engaging local communities in the hands-on work of preservation.
A central focus of Cornerstones is the restoration of historic adobe churches, many of them centuries old and located in rural Hispanic and Native communities throughout New Mexico. These structures are often at the heart of their communities' cultural and spiritual life, and the organization helps communities repair and maintain them using traditional materials and techniques such as adobe, mud plaster, and timber craftsmanship.
The organization's approach emphasizes community participation and the transmission of traditional building knowledge. Rather than simply performing repairs, Cornerstones works alongside community members, teaching and reinforcing the skills needed to preserve these structures, helping ensure that traditional building practices are passed on to new generations. This focus on knowledge transfer is integral to its mission.
Cornerstones also operates a youth program that engages young people in preservation work, combining hands-on construction experience with education about history, culture, and craftsmanship. Through this program, young people develop skills, connect with their heritage, and contribute to preserving important community landmarks.
By preserving historic adobe buildings and the traditional knowledge behind them, Cornerstones helps communities maintain their cultural identity and their connection to the past. These structures represent irreplaceable heritage, and their preservation strengthens community pride and continuity. Supported by donations, grants, and partnerships, Cornerstones Community Partnerships has worked on numerous projects across New Mexico and the broader region, sustaining both the physical landmarks and the cultural traditions of the Southwest.
