Plaza del Cerro in Chimay, New Mexico, is one of northern New Mexico's most celebrated yet least protected historic sites. Founded around 1730, it is the best surviving example of a Spanish Colonial plaza in the Southwest. The site preserves historic adobe structures, including the Oratorio de la Plaza del Cerro with a painted altar by renowned santero Jose Rafael Aragón, and showcases cultural traditions like weaving, tin smithing, and wood carving. Threats include adobe decay, aging infrastructure, and declining community engagement. Restoration by the Chimay Cultural Preservation Association and Cornerstones Community Partnerships involves local youth and volunteers, but sustained support is urgently needed to protect this living testament to centuries of Latino heritage.

"The Plaza del Cerro in Chimayó stands alone as an architectural remnant of an important period in Latinx history in a shifting borderland. Its rectangular adobe rooms carry a potent sense of when New Mexicans clustered together in fortified plazas that provided security and nurtured cultural and community connections."

— Don Usner, President, Chimayó Cultural Preservation Association