Discover 6 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Clayton (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Gate, Union County Courthouse, and Luna Theater. Also, be sure to include Clayton Public Schools Historic District in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Clayton (New Mexico).
Table of Contents
Gate
The Gate, Fence and Hollow Tree Shelter Designed by Dionicio Rodriguez is a work by noted artist Dionicio Rodriguez that is located at 320 Oak St. in Clayton, New Mexico. It consists of three faux bois sculptures created in 1943. Speculator Bayliss C. Froman commissioned the sculptures on his property after seeing Rodriguez's work on a visit to San Antonio. The sculptures include a gate resembling the entrance to the San Antonio Japanese Tea Garden, an intertwining log fence, and a hollow tree with textured bark.[1]
Address: 320 Oak Street, Clayton
Union County Courthouse
County court in Clayton, New Mexico. The Union County Courthouse on Court St. in Clayton, New Mexico is a historic building built in 1909. It has been described as having World's Fair Classic Style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
The courthouse was one of 14 studied in a 1987 review of historic courthouses in New Mexico.[2]
Address: Court Street, Clayton
Luna Theater
Theater in Clayton, New Mexico. The Luna Theater, at 2-6 Main St. in Clayton, New Mexico, is a historic theatre that was built in 1915–1916. It was opened as the Mission Theater in 1915 and was renamed to the Luna Theater in 1935.
The building includes Mission/Spanish Revival architecture and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The theater was saved by preservationists and continues to show movies today.[3]
Clayton Public Schools Historic District
Historical landmark in Clayton, New Mexico. The Clayton Public Schools Historic District is a 7-acre historic district consisting of four blocks in southeast Clayton, New Mexico, centered on 6th and Cedar Sts. Also known as Clayton Public Schools-Campus No. 1, its oldest buildings were built in 1935. It includes work designed by Willard C. Kruger and other New Mexico architects in Pueblo Revival style and built by the Works Progress Administration. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996; the listing included seven contributing buildings, four contributing structure and four other contributing sites.
Kruger, who served as "State Architect" of New Mexico for one year, also led the state's FERA group of architects. In the project termed "perhaps the most remarkable concentration of WPA-funded school buildings", Kruger's group "designed an entire four-block junior and senior high school complex for the town of Clayton". The project eventually included a high school, a junior high school, agricultural and manual arts buildings, a gymnasium/auditorium, a football stadium, and more facilities. The project was embraced by Raymond Huff, schools superintendent, who also found ways to use Works Project Administration funding for related arts and services projects. For Union County, hard-hit by Dust Bowl storms, the project was important and provided work at one point or another for 6,000 out of the 10,000 population.[4]
Address: 323 S 5th St, Clayton
Clayton Public Library
Public library in Clayton, New Mexico. The Clayton Public Library, at 116 Walnut St. in Clayton, New Mexico, was built in 1939 as a New Deal construction work. It was designed by Willard C. Kruger in Pueblo Revival architecture. It is now known as the D.D. Monroe Civic Building. It has served historically as a library, as a meeting hall, and as a clubhouse.
It was listed as one of the top 10 most endangered historic buildings in New Mexico in 2002.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
The Albert W. Thompson Memorial Library at 17 Chestnut Street currently serves as Clayton's public library. It holds about 18,000 volumes and circulates about 12,000 annually.[5]
Address: 116 Walnut Street, Clayton
A. W. Thompson Memorial Library
Library
Address: 17 Chestnut Street, Clayton