One of the oldest and most historic fort sites in New Mexico has now been added to the official list of the State Register of Cultural Properties.
Located 10 miles to the east of Gallup, the 22-acre Fort Wingate was opened in 1868 and was originally used as a facility by which the U.S. Government could monitor and/or control the activities of the nearby Navajo tribe.
In later years it housed explosives that were subsequently used by the Manhattan Project during World War II in the development of the nation’s first nuclear weapons. The fort was additionally used as a training facility for the famous Navajo Code Talkers during that war.
The site was also the home of an Indian school which promoted the teaching of the Navajo language.
Although the Bureau of Indian Affairs demolished several structures at the site to provide room for the late 1950s construction of an elementary school, the fort still features a club house, barracks, and officers’ quarters.
The fort was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The new State of New Mexico designation for the fort expands the boundaries of what is called the Fort Wingate Historic District.
In an interview with the Albuquerque Journal, Steven Moffson, coordinator for the New Mexico Historic Preservation District, remarked that “unlike many Indian boarding schools, Fort Wingate is remembered fondly by former Navajo students and other tribal members who wish to see it recognized as a historic site.”
According to Cultural Properties documents, the Wingate school both embraced Navajo traditions, as well as provided students with “formal schooling and vocational trade skills.”
The listing decision was announced by the Cultural Properties Review Committee, which is a part of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.
August 1, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Vintage postcard of Fort Wingate
