Hands-On Adobe Preservation Workshop in Socorro, TX
More Info & RegisterJoin Preservation Texas for a hands-on adobe preservation workshop with Pat Taylor, July 11-12, 2025, in El Paso & Socorro, Texas. Learn adobe construction and preservation techniques at historic Rio Vista Farm.
El Paso & Socorro, Texas
Join Preservation Texas for a hands-on adobe preservation workshop on Friday, July 11th and Saturday, July 12th, 2025.
This workshop is AIA CES approved. AIA members receive 6 LU | HSW for participating!
The event kicks off Friday evening with an orientation session from 6:00–7:30 p.m. at the West Texas Heritage Center in downtown El Paso (201 E San Antonio Ave). During this time, adobe conservation expert Pat Taylor will provide an overview of adobe construction techniques, historical context, and preservation methods, and will share about the mission of his nonprofit organization, Querencia Mi Mesilla. Participants will also get a preview of the hands-on tasks and learning objectives for the following day’s workshop at Rio Vista Farm, and learn about the rehabilitation plans for the site.
On Saturday, participants will gather at historic Rio Vista Farm in Socorro (901 N. Rio Vista Road) from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., where they will make adobe bricks and repair damage to an original adobe structure on the site’s north side. Lunch will be provided.
Workshop instructor Pat Taylor is the co-author of Adobe Conservation: A Preservation Handbook. With decades of experience in the Southwestern U.S., Mexico, and South America, Pat brings deep expertise in adobe, stone, and lime preservation.
- Registration: $50 for Preservation Texas members or $75 for non-members
- Capacity: Limited to 20 participants — first come, first served!
- Register: https://www.preservationtexas.org/elpaso-events/socorro-2025
- Contact: [email protected]
Event Details
- Date: July 11–12, 2025
- Time: Fri 6:00–7:30pm (orientation), Sat 8:00am–4:00pm (workshop)
- Location: El Paso & Socorro, Texas
- Instructor: Pat Taylor
- Cost: $50 members / $75 non-members
- Capacity: 20 participants
- AIA CES: 6 LU | HSW for AIA members
Workshop Agenda
- Friday evening orientation: Overview of adobe construction, preservation, and site history
- Saturday hands-on: Adobe brick making and repair at Rio Vista Farm
- Lunch provided
About the Site
Rio Vista Farm was established in 1915 as El Paso County Poor Farm, later serving as the U.S. headquarters for the WWII-era Bracero Program. The site was included on Preservation Texas’s Most Endangered Places List in 2015, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2023.
Organized by Preservation Texas, with support from Querencia Mi Mesilla and the West Texas Heritage Center.