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Silver City MainStreet Project, encouraging a vibrant historic downtown

Silver City sprang to life during the summer of 1870. The discovery of silver brought thousands of miners, and merchants followed in their footsteps. The town’s founders decided Silver City would be “built to last.” In 1880, an ordinance was passed requiring masonry construction for new buildings in the city limits. This left behind a wealth of solid commercial buildings, brick Victorian homes, and adobe structures.

A series of devastating floods between 1890 and 1910 washed away the original Main Street and all but one of its handsome brick buildings. The stately Warren house by the Market Street pedestrian bridge is the sole survivor. What used to be Main Street is now known as the Big Ditch Park, and lies some 55 feet below grade. It was named after the Panama Canal, and is the watercourse for San Vicente Creek.

Silver City MainStreet is an accredited New Mexico MainStreet program committed to working with our community to revitalize the economy in our historic downtown. We do this through:

• Improvements to and preservation of our historic district
• Development of new and creative uses for downtown buildings
• Collaboration and promotion of downtown events

Since 1985, Silver City MainStreet has completed numerous projects to improve the economic vitality of downtown Silver City.

Explore downtown Silver City, New Mexico with our comprehensive guide. Discover a map of downtown and a list of restaurants, shops, galleries, and hotels to enhance your visit to this charming historic small town.

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Support Silver City Mainstreet by Becoming a Partner

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The Voices of MainStreet

Creative & Cultural, Engage People, Rebuild Places, Support Entrepreneurs

Coalition of MainStreet Communities

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Sharing our unique historic assets

Silver City MainStreet’s many successful projects include Street Lights, Silver City Gateway Arch, Big Ditch Park development, numerous beautification projects, and restoration of the historic Silco Theater. Stories From Our Streets: Discover the Town That Was Built to Last, a downtown walking tour highlights the colorful history of our downtown. Tour booklets are available at the visitor center, downtown merchants, with an audio and written version available online.