Lincoln Historic Site unveils the 'Preservation of Lincoln Through the Lens of Walter and Nora Henn'

Jul. 16—The Lincoln Historic Site has unveiled "Preservation of Lincoln Through the Lens of Walter and Nora Henn," a new exhibition showing in the Luna-Chavez House. The exhibit features pen-and-ink drawings by Walter Henn, and dives into his and his wife's contributions to the preservation of Lincoln. The exhibition is available to visitors now. "I really enjoyed being able to work on this exhibit," said Brittany Porter, museum technician and conservator. "It was fun to be able to learn more about Walter and Nora Henn and their contributions to Lincoln." "I like being able to see how Lincoln has changed, but also stayed the same over time." Lincoln has had no shortage of advocates and champions, but Walter and Nora Henn enjoy a special status among them. When they arrived in Lincoln, they fell in love with the area and its history. Walter was an artist and produced several paintings and pen-and-ink drawings of the town and its surroundings. Nora jumped headfirst into learning about Lincoln County and the many stories to be told about it, collecting books, oral histories and other historical documents, which are now part of New Mexico State University's special collections. Nora's research culminated in the book "Lincoln County and Its Wars," which was published posthumously in 2011. Together, they formed the foundation on which the preservation of Lincoln still depends, drafting Lincoln's first Historical Preservation Ordinance and leading guided tours of Lincoln together. Walter was also the first director of the Lincoln County Heritage and served as a founder, charter member and longtime board member of the Lincoln County Historical Society. The new exhibition leads visitors through Walter and Nora's experience of Lincoln. Twelve of Walter's drawings of historic buildings are featured. Visitors are encouraged to compare his drawings with the actual buildings and track the ways in which they have changed or remained the same over the years. Lincoln's new exhibition is the first to benefit from the closer relationship between New Mexico Historic Sites and Museum Resource Division, said C.L. Kieffer Nail, historic preservation and interpretation specialist with New Mexico Historic Sites. "Now we have a point person in Santa Fe working closely with a graphic designer on the exhibition's look and feel. It was an honor to aid in the coordination of this exhibit. In the future, we hope to connect other sites across the state with these state resources and further raise the caliber of our exhibitions."