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Duran School
Duran, New Mexico

 

Description: Duran School
Other Names:
Address: Route 54, Torrance, County, New Mexico
Type: government
Original Client: Santa Fe School
Date: 1936
Condition: extant : currently fire house

Architect or Firm: Henry C. Trost
Associated Architect or Firm: Trost & Trost
Contractors:
Dimensions and Orientation: two stories
Budget/Cost:

Foundation:
Wall Materials: brick
Roofing Materials:
Other Materials Used:
Remodeling and Additions:

Location of Drawings: none known to exist
Location of Documentary Photographs:

Bibliography: El Paso Times, Friday, January 24, 1936, states that Trost & Trost are drawing plans for school building in Hatch and Duran New Mexico.

Remarks:
In 1936 Gustavus Trost left for Santa Fe to submit plans for a grade school in Duran, New Mexico
Duran is located in Torrance county at the junction of US Route 54 and New Mexico Road 3. (14 miles from Vaughn, New Mexico)

In 1902, the El Paso & Northeastern Railroad finished a stretch of tracked called the “Arrrow Route.” The track ran between El Paso and Santa Rosa, where a connection to Leadbelly’s Rock Island awaited. Brothers Blas and Espiridon Duran, owned wells in central New Mexico which could provided water to the railroad crews. The railroad company took advantage of the wells, building a repair shop and a wooden roundhouse in what later would be know as the town of Duran.
The population of Duran grew to 300 residences with the presents of the railroad. However in 1921 the railroad moved it operations south to Carrizozo and thus ending the roundhouse. Duran still remained active in ranching business.

In the 1930s two lane U.S. Highway 54 came through the heart of the town and the town got another boost. In 1936, Trost submitted plans for a school. The school closed in 1955 and the building was converted into a community center and later the current fire station.

By the 1960’s I-25 was constructed about 60 miles west and the use of U.S. 54 dwindled Duran population. Today the town of Duran population stands at 35 residences.

Prepared for the El Paso Public Library by Lloyd C. and June F. Engelbrecht under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, 1990