The furniture bears Victorian and Eastlake influence. The major oil painting on the south wall, “Sea Nymphs on Rocks,” is from the famed Hudson River School and is signed by W. L. Judson, circa 1910. The Flemish oil painting of a street scene, is signed by Wilfred Jentin, circa 1880. The large oval oil painting of “Lewis and Clark’s Discovery of the West” is very unusual. The goddess “Diana,” signed by F. Bauer, is circa 1910. The 1857 map of New Mexico and Arizona shows Mesilla as the capital of Arizona, with both Territories extending to California.

Secretary Davis persuaded President Pierce to recall James Gadsden, Ambassador to England. Gadsden lived in Mesilla for the next three years negotiating the purchase of the land extending from the Rio Grande to California. On Dec. 30, 1853, the Mexican Flag was lowered and the 32-star American Flag was raised, declaring this land to be part of the United States.

The signed Gadsden Purchase, a fifteen-million-dollar agreement, was then sent to the two Congresses for ratification in the summer of 1854. It is believed that Mexican President Santa Ana had his soldiers ambush the courier, stealing the fifteen-million-dollar draft.

The seven-foot carved stone fountain is surrounded by Areca Palms, Springerie Ferns and Bougainvillea trailing from the cathedral atrium. Four marble statues of women are from the Greek and Roman Revival periods and are late 19th century. The alabaster bust on the east wall shows a female wearing a bronze gladiator helmet, circa 1900. The Sequoia redwood architectural medallion is a large piece of Victorian ginger bread from the Gump Mansion in San Francisco.

The three Library of Congress archive proofs of the Gadsden Purchase — the only known copies in New Mexico — are mounted in circa 1850 ornate nickel silver frames. A rare 1849 map of “The Frontiers of Utah and New Mexico” depicts the Gadsden Purchase area of southern New Mexico, including Mesilla. A pair of gilded bronze torches, with frosted crystal flame shades, light the entrance to the Maximillian Dining Room.

Named President of Mexico in 1857, Benito Juarez led the Liberal Mexicans in La Reforma against the French-supported regime of Maximillian. This room’s ceiling is of original vigas crossed with latillas, which in some areas are covered with plaster. The New Mexico colonial chairs were copied from a 350-year-old museum piece and are hand-carved. The Mexican folkart pieces decorating the Juarez Room represent the release of bad dreams and evil thoughts. This symbolism and humor still cause these fifteen hand painted clay pieces to be highly sought by collectors.

Love persisted, however, and his mother came home one afternoon to find the two lovers entwined. Enraged at what she saw, the mother grabbed a pair of scissors from the chest of drawers and stabbed the maid to death. In the process, the mother mistakenly stabbed her son, as he stepped to save his lover.

It is said that the ghosts of the young lovers inhabit the Carlota Salon to this day. The ghosts make their presence known in many ways. Even though modern motion detectors are armed at night, broken glasses and tipped-over chairs are found by morning. There are two upholstered Victorian arm chairs in the room that are rarely used. The cut velvet fabric, however, is worn in the shape of human bodies, one larger than the other, but both small by today’s standards.

The Carlota Salon was named for Marie Charlote, daughter of the King of Belgium, who was born in 1840 and died in 1927. She was the wife of Maximillian, Archduke of Austria, and the Empress of Mexico from 1864 to 1867. An oil portrait of her holding her small white Maltese dog dominates the room. The two oval portraits of Señor and Señora Maese, the owners of the home, are of the type frequently commissioned by families of that era. The heavy glided brass and cut crystal lamp once lighted the boudoir or famed red-light madam ‘Silver City Millie.”

A framed Las Cruces Sun News article of the “Young Lover Ghosts” and a photograph believed to be depicting the presence of the ghost lovers are displayed in the salon.

The room’s three Baccarat crystal chandeliers, measuring three feet wide and seven feet tall, are in the classic French shape with 18 brass arms containing more than 1,000 hand-cut lead crystals. They are beautiful and add luster to the 18- and 24-karat gold pressed-metal, awe-inspiring ceiling. The magnificent ceiling was painstakingly leafed by hand with six-inch squares of gold. The music balcony has a 18-karat gold-leafed brass railing cast in the lyre pattern with wrought gilded spandrels. The imposing balcony support structure of California Sequoia giant redwood is hand-carved black Bear heads and acanthus leaves gilded in 18-karat gold.

The stained-glass panels over the double doors are in the Greek Revival style of Tiffany, with scrolls and ribbons surrounding the enameled center medallion. The 11 gold leaf French pier mirrors, are ornately carved in the Greek Revival style. It is most unusual to find a collection of this size.

The draperies are a French documentary stripe in silk damask. The huge portrait of King George is in the Louis XIV style. He is dressed in a long robe of ermine with black tails, traditionally worn only by royalty. It is very rare to find a collection of antique Queen Anne chairs of this magnitude. The five round tables are fine antiques from the Victorian, Eastlake and Greek Revival periods.

A large, full-length oil painting of a young girl in red with a doll is an important example of primitive American art, circa 1830. If you look closely, the mother’s face is painted on the doll, which was a common technique for traveling artists of the time. An equal to this painting can be found only in museums. The portraits of James Gadsden and Mexican General Manuel Diaz, the authors of the Gadsden Purchase, hang on either side of the French doors. The portraits of a woman with a lace cap, a lady with flowers in her hair and a lady with a lace collar are of the Philadelphia or Baltimore School, circa 180.

The Mexican-colonial oil painting of the Virgin de Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico, with three angels above the flames of Hades, is circa 1800’s. “The Mediterranean Harbor” scene and the “Sailing Ships at Sunset” are European 19th century. The oil portrait of a young girl in a blue dress is a European primitive.

The very valuable 17th-century Italian Corinthian columns lintel, imposed by dental and bead molding, acanthus leaves and flowers, have a weathered-gray gilt finish. The rare, early 19th-century round mirror is framed in 18-karat gold-leafed bead and point molding.