From the tiny ranch community of San Vicente de la Cienega, Silver City was transformed almost overnight following the May 1870 discovery of silver deposits on the town's outskirts. The frontier camp attracted thousands of fortune-seekers who mined for gold, copper, and lead in addition to silver. By the time a railroad arrived in 1883, the community was booming — one of the most prosperous in all of New Mexico.

Silver City's 12-square-block downtown is unusual in that it was purposely "built to last," following enactment of an 1880 ordinance requiring that all construction be of brick, masonry, adobe, or stone. Early residents were well aware that many towns built of wood had burned quickly to the ground.

Prosperity ensured that residences, businesses, and public institutions would be constructed of high-quality materials by skilled craftsmen. Builders favored the most impressive architectural styles of the day: Italianate, Eastlake, Queen Anne, Neoclassical, Greek Revival, Spanish Mission, Pueblo Revival, and Territorial. Ornamentation included stained glass, colored tile, wrought-iron, and wooden scrollwork.

Visitors will admire scores of these historic landmarks, many carefully restored or kept in mint condition by their owners.