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Jesus M. Casaus House

Historic building
In Santa Rosa, New Mexico
0.6 mi from Route 66
National Register of Historic Places

The Jesus M. Casaus House in Santa Rosa, NM, is a two-story Craftsman bungalow from 1917, tied to Jesus M. Casaus, a Guadalupe County sheriff and New Mexico state legislator. It keeps careful details, from sloping porch piers outside to oak trim and stenciled wall patterns inside, along with a set of period outbuildings. It went on the National Register in 1982 and stands a short walk from the old road.

What is Jesus M. Casaus House?

The house is two stories tall under a pitched roof, and it shows the Craftsman bungalow style clearly. Outside, the porch rests on battered piers, which are wider at the base than at the top. Inside, oak moldings and stenciled patterns on the walls show the same care. The original back porch was later enclosed, but the low, spread-out shape and the matching details inside and out survive.

Several smaller pieces share the property: a two-room storage building, a stone garage, and a buried water cistern under a protective cover, and a water pump. Each of these adds to the picture of a working household of the period, when a family kept its own water supply close at hand.

History of Jesus M. Casaus House

The house was completed in 1917, built for, or perhaps by, Jesus M. Casaus, who lived from 1867 to 1958. He served as sheriff of Guadalupe County and as a member of the New Mexico legislature. The property earned National Register status in 1982, with three buildings and one structure counted as contributing. It also appears on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties.

Visiting Jesus M. Casaus House: tips

This is a private house, so view it from the street and respect the owners' privacy. The porch piers are the detail to look for. The J. Julian Moise House is about 0.3 miles away and the Park Lake Historic District about 0.4 miles, which makes a pleasant short walk. The Santa Rosa Route 66 Airport is about 2.2 miles off.