Adobe built Grocery Stores
Hi there, I'm the owner/ restorer of the historic Ludi's Market Building in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Ludi's has quite the history in this area for being a multi generation locally owned grocery store and has been remodeled many times over the years. I'm heavily involved with our local historical committee, but still nobody knows exactly when this building was built. The city says it was built in 1964 (probably the first time they pulled a permit), I have old advertisements from when it became Ludi's in 1944, advertisements from when it was George Herman's Economy Market in 1939 and an obituary of man passing away at his daughter's house in 1936. Throughout our restoration we found magazines from 1916 and a whiskey bottle from 1900ish. Happy to call this mystery my home.
My wife and I bought it in 2022, after it had sat vacant since 2008. It's a commercial residential and we have a small loft apartment above the facade of the building. Our plans are for it to be an indoor farmer's market, with a rentable community kitchen and cold storage. The building is equipped with six walk-in coolers and a commercial kitchen. The dream is a place where anyone can start a food business. A space where anyone can create, store and sell onsite. Our current battles are modern code compliancy such as ADA accessibility and fire code. But as of now, it's just our really big home.
Behind it's 1960s facade of brick, glass and mid century awnings hides an adobe building. We even have an adobe walk-in cooler.
Which got me thinking... Are there any other known examples of surviving adobe built food markets?
This alone might be enough to get us on the national historic registry.