San Fidel shop becomes national historic site

Posted at: 10/29/2009 11:46 AM | Updated at: 10/29/2009 2:13 PM
By: The Associated Press

SAN FIDEL, N.M. (AP) - A curio shop that sold Native American crafts during Route 66's heyday has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The state Historic Preservation Division says the Acoma Curio Shop in San Fidel was listed on the register because of its association with events that contributed to the broad patterns of history.

Interim State Historic Preservation Officer Jan Biella says the shop is associated with its exclusive trade with Acoma Pueblo. It catered to passing motorists and dealers who specialized in trading Acoma goods along Route 66.

Lebanese immigrant Abdoo H. Fidel built an adobe building in 1916 with a false metal mining front that made the shop a standout.

The curio shop operated from 1937 until 1941.

Today, the building houses an art gallery.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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