BY DANIEL KOSHAREK

Probably one of the most photographed buildings in Santa Fe is the New Mexico Museum of Art, on the northwest corner of the plaza at Palace and Lincoln Avenue. To the casual observer, the building could be as old as its 400-year-old neighbor across the street, the Palace of the Governors. But in fact it has only been there since 1917. Here once stood the headquarters for the Fort Marcy military compound (established in 1846), and Lincoln Avenue was lined with officer’s quarters, barracks, and corrals. The fort, on a hill above town, and its buildings were sold in 1894, ending the parades, processions, and other military activities in downtown Santa Fe and setting the stage for construction of the museum.