Presidio County: Art, History, and High Desert

Presidio County appeals to travelers who want to focus on art, history, and high-desert landscapes. A specific point of reference is Marfa: the city is located in the northeastern part of Presidio County at the junction of U.S. Highways 90 and 67. This location provides a clear road reference for your stay. At the same time, travel interests range from art collections to local educational and architectural history, as well as nature observation.

Art, Architecture, and Guided Tours

At the Chinati Foundation, art, architecture, and land form a unified whole. The collection is installed in 21 buildings and at two outdoor sites; its distribution is therefore part of the collection’s spatial character. Guided tours are the only way to see most of the collection and grounds. If you want to see this larger portion, make the tour an essential part of your planning.

Visits to La Mansana de Chinati/The Block give you access to Donald Judd’s residence and studio in Marfa. There are 27 works of art installed at La Mansana de Chinati/The Block. The Block is part of the Donald Judd Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The focus here differs from that at Chinati: the Foundation’s collection is distributed across buildings and outdoor sites, while a visit to The Block centers on the residence, studio, and works installed there.

Educational and Architectural History

From 1909 to 1965, Blackwell School was the only public educational institution for Marfa’s Hispanic students. It is a significant local example of the period when the principle of “separate but equal” shaped educational and social systems in the United States. The school’s prominent role connects Marfa’s local history with the broader historical context in the U.S.

A different perspective on architectural history can be found at El Corazon Sagrado de la Iglesia de Jesus in Ruidosa. The church was completed in 1915 using sun-dried adobe bricks made by the people of Ruidosa under the direction of the parish priest, Father Mariano. The date and community effort connect the building to a specific local history of labor.

Landscape Along the Rio Grande

Big Bend Ranch State Park stretches through a high-desert landscape along the Rio Grande, on the border between the United States and Mexico. Fort Leaton State Historic Site is located on a floodplain terrace overlooking the Rio Grande; Fort Leaton was established in 1848 as a large fortified adobe complex. The landscape features differ: the state park centers on high desert, river, and border, while Fort Leaton brings together the terrace and the historic fortification.

Practical Information

At Fort Leaton in Presidio, there is a 26-acre bird-watching area. The Farmers Market takes place every Saturday morning in downtown Presidio; check the date before your trip. This lets you include two different interests in your plans: nature observation and a market visit on a set day of the week.

Highway 170, known as the River Road, runs between Presidio and Lajitas. This is a different kind of road reference from the junction of U.S. Highways 90 and 67 in Marfa: Highway 170 identifies a route between two places, while Marfa is at a highway junction.

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Discover more destinations: Marfa, Grayson, Jim Wells, Tarrant, Harrison County, Blanco County, Williamson, Taylor

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