Day Trips: Presidio Chapel, San Elizario

The Presidio Chapel of San Elizario, about 22 miles southeast of downtown El Paso, anchors the historic district of one of the best historic small towns in America.

Still a parish church, the chapel has a history that goes back to 1752. It began as the religious home for Spanish soldiers at a fort on the south side of the Rio Grande. The military moved to the present site of San Elizario in 1789.

In 1829, a deluge washed down the Rio Grande, destroying much of the fort and the chapel. It also carved a new channel that put San Elizario on the Texas side of the river. The fort was in ruins by 1851.

The adobe bricks of the fortifications were gradually hauled away to build homes for what was once El Paso County's largest town. The current Catholic church is the fourth chapel and was constructed between 1877 and 1882. It was never technically part of the Spanish mission system.

The chapel's beauty is in its simplicity. The thick, white adobe walls are supported by four massive buttresses. The rounded mission-style espadaña (belfry) on the front was added in the 20th century, as were stained-glass windows and a colorful pressed-tin ceiling.

Named for a former Spanish presidio, which was named for St. Elzéar, the French patron saint of soldiers, the historic architecture of San Elizario has survived largely intact. Many of the buildings around the main square maintain the original territorial-style architecture. Galleries, restaurants, and shops are neighbors with the Las Portales Museum and the El Paso Jail Museum where Billy the Kid broke in to free a compadre.

San Elizario Chapel, at 1556 San Elizario Rd., is accessible from I-10 east of El Paso at the Clint exit. The church is open to visitors. For information about the downtown historic district, go to sanelizariohistoricdistrict.com.

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