Built to Last: Honoring the Architect Behind Town & Ranch
Historic preservation isn’t just a design philosophy, it’s a commitment to honoring the people and stories embedded in the places we call home. This Women’s History Month, we’re proud to turn the spotlight on one of those stories: the remarkable legacy of Mary Louise “Lou” Grace, whose fingerprints are quite literally part of the building where we craft our gin, welcome guests, and carry on the tradition of small-batch, thoughtfully made goods.
A Building with History in Its Bones
Tucked along what was once the original Route 66, now 4th Street in Albuquerque, our Town & Ranch location has been a gathering place for working people since the mid-20th century. Originally home to Heaston’s Town and Ranch Tractor Supplies, the building served the farmers, ranchers and tradespeople who built this region. Today, it houses our gin distillery, cocktail lounge, shop and production center.
What many people don’t know is that this enduring mid-century building was designed by a woman who was, in every sense of the word, a pioneer.
Meet Lou Grace: Architect, Engineer, Trailblazer
In 1950, Mary Louise “Lou” Grace became the first woman in New Mexico to earn both a licensed architect’s credential and a licensed engineer’s credential, a dual achievement that was virtually unheard of for women at the time.
Her influence extended well beyond her own drafting table. Lou played a pivotal role in connecting the key members who would go on to form the foundation of what eventually became SMPC Architects, one of New Mexico’s most respected architecture firms. Her professional network, her vision and her persistence helped shape the architectural landscape of Albuquerque in ways that continue to ripple forward today.
Preservation as Intention
Los Poblanos has long been guided by a belief that the most meaningful spaces carry the stories of the people who made them. From our historic dairy barns, now home to the Farm Shop and Campo, to Farm Shop Norte in Santa Fe that was once a Sinclair gas station, to Town & Ranch on 4th Street, we are drawn to buildings that have something to say. Adaptive reuse isn’t just about saving structures; it’s about listening to them.
When we moved our distillery and production operations into Town & Ranch building, we inherited more than square footage. We inherited a legacy of craft, precision and quiet determination, values that feel very much at home alongside the lavender we grow, the gin we distill, and the small-batch lavender salve we make onsite.
Celebrating the Women Who Built This Place
This Women’s History Month, we raise a glass (perhaps a lavender gin cocktail) to Lou and all the women whose work has shaped the places, industries and communities we love. Her legacy is in the walls of Town & Ranch and in our commitment to honoring what came before as we build what comes next.
