Two NM sites get National Historic designation

San José de los Jémez Mission

Two sites in New Mexico are being designated as national historic landmarks. 

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's designation of 27 sites nationwide includes the Rio Grande Railroad's San Juan Extension in Rio Arriba County. New Mexico's other new landmark is the San José de los Jémez Mission and Pueblo Site. 

The Interior Department says the site is associated with the spread of Spanish control into the present-day American Southwest and is an early representation of the intersection of European and native cultures.

 The department says landmark designations mean each site gets a designation letter, a plaque, and technical preservation advice.

Two NM sites get National Historic designation