Los Ojuelos
Why it's listed
Los Ojuelos is a ranch settlement of sandstone houses and ruins on a slope above a tributary of Retamia Creek, south of Mirando City. Thirteen structures remain, built of hewn, chinked and plastered sandstone blocks. Ten are ruins, and a few retain flat roofs or hip roofs. One cottage has a roof beam dated 1879. The site was apparently settled briefly in 1810 under a Spanish grant, then resettled in 1855-1857 by the Guerra brothers, who recruited emigrants from Mexico. Population reached about 400 and the ranch grew to roughly 20,000 acres, raising cattle, horses, wool and corn. Population declined after 1910, and the school and church closed in 1942 after oil was found nearby. The district was listed for its distinctive Mexican-American vernacular architecture, which resembles Vallecillo in Nuevo Leon, and for archeological deposits that may reveal how the community lived and traded.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Vernacular (Mexican-American); flat-roofed Colonial-style casas de terrado and hip-roofed two-room structures |
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture |
| Acreage | 20 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Los Ojuelos (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.