ALAMOSA — A plaque now marks Alamosa’s oldest historic structure, which in fact was built before there was an Alamosa.

Just north of Alamosa at the North River Road junction near the golf course, a wooden structure in disrepair marks the site of the Wayside Stage Stop, which served as the Barlow Sanderson stage shop and post office from 1874 to 1878 when the railroad was constructed. Named Wayside, this was the first known building in what was to become Alamosa. Alamosa was incorporated in 1878.

Alamosa city council added the Wayside Stage Stop to the Alamosa Register of Historic Places earlier this year, and city councilors and area residents joined the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee (HPAC) in celebrating this site with a plaque on the structure on Friday.

During the ceremony at the historic site on Friday, HPAC Chairman Ralph Symbleme commemorated James Maddux who homesteaded the small community north of Alamosa known as Wayside. Symbleme credited Maddux with foresight and initiative. Several Maddux relatives were on hand Friday to celebrate the preservation of this historic site.

Alamosa Mayor Ty Coleman said, “This historic site and building are worth preserving for our community, not only for the residents here but residents who will be here in the future.”

He said as he has driven by the old stage stop on his way to the disc golf course, he has imagined what took place there “back then.”

HVAC member Don Thompson added that this was the first “multi purpose building” here, having housed a school, stage stop and post office.

Kat Olance, president of the SLV Museum Association, said this site could become one of the tourist stops for folks coming to the area and following Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic Byway.

The city now owns the structure, the last vestige of Wayside. Its preservation can be credited to Jean Maddux and Margaret Jones who approached the city council a few years ago with the request to preserve the structure before it was totally gone. Both were on hand for the Friday ceremony.

There were seven structures initially, but only the site of the stage stop remains.

Caption: Celebrating a historic plaque on the Wayside stage stop building just north of Alamosa are from left Ralph Symbleme, Marlena Antonucci, Don Thompson, Margaret Jones, Jean Maddux, Ty Coleman, Jan Vigil, Meegan Maddux-Valdez, Kaden Maddux-Valdez, Kyler Maddux-Valdez, Christopher Quintana, Jenene Holcomb and Kat Olance./Courier photo by Ruth Heide