As Kirkpatrick set out to create a masterpiece, one building was so special that they, along with architect Herald Stewart, felt it deserved special attention and recognition - the abandoned and crumbling Loretto Chapel. The Archdioceses had no need for it and no desire to fund the ongoing, and costly maintenance. The city of Santa Fe turned it down as well. But Kirkpatrick and Stewart fell in love with the small ornate church and set out on a mission to preserve its legacy. The team restored the Gothic style chapel and opened it as a historic landmark and museum in 1975. Today the Chapel, which features the miraculous staircase, is one of the most visited historic sites in New Mexico. Visitors are invited to tour the building daily, and non-Roman Catholic mass is held there each Sunday.
During the initial construction phase a fire broke out destroying all but two of the buildings; only the Chapel and the opportunity school were spared. The hotel was completed and opened in October 1975, boasting only four stories, a 24-hour diner, bar and pool. The opportunity school building was converted to retail space serving patrons of the hotel, as well as locals and walker buyers via West Alameda Street. As a quaint hotel that embodied the spirit and culture of the region, details like traditional ancient Mimbres symbols where painted on the interior walls by local artists, sconces and chandeliers in the common areas were commissioned with careful attention to detail, and traditional Vigas and Latias lined the hallways. Everything one would expect from a Santa Fe Style Inn was included with sheer perfection. Architect Herald Stewart oversaw the exterior and interior design to ensure no detail was forgotten. Much of the original design is still present today. Even in times of expansion the Inn has always maintained its connection to the cultures of New Mexico’s ancient peoples.
Jim Kirkpatrick’s brother Charles and sister-in-law June were onsite to oversee the construction project and open the hotel. In the early 1980’s Jim and his family relocated from Tulsa, OK, to Santa Fe and assumed operations of the property. The fifth story, which now houses the Inn’s Penthouse and 3 suites, was added at this time as the living quarters for the Kirkpatrick family. Maggie and Ben Kirkpatrick, two of the siblings, recall many memories of not only growing up on property – but also running it. As Maggie recalls, “It really was a family owned and operated hotel. We worked in housekeeping, the restaurant, front desk. You name it, we worked it. We were young and really didn’t have much experience. It was literally on the job training.”
