ABOUT THE FECHIN HOUSE
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In 1923, renowned Russian-American artist Nicolai Fechin (pronounced "fay-shin"), his wife, Alexandra, and their daughter, Eya (pronounced "ee-uh,) emigrated from Russia to New York City. In 1926, at the invitation of Taos patroness Mabel Dodge Luhan and the encouragement of artist John Young-Hunter, the Fechin family traveled to Taos and spent the summer at Mabel's place.
Then, so Fechin could have the privacy he desired to paint, the family decided it was time for their own home in Taos. In 1927, they acquired the property of Dr. J.J. Bergmans and his wife, Wilhelmina Harkink-Bergmans, who were returning to their native Holland. The Fechins moved into the house until March 1928, when they concluded that |
the two-story, eight-room, cube-shaped symmetrical adobe failed to satisfy their needs functionally or aesthetically, and they would have to remodel.
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The Fechin family labored to make the home theirs for the next five years. Nicolai communicated directions to Miguel and Pedro Mirabal, masons from the Taos Pueblo, through a cardboard model he made and with assistance from the multi-lingual Alexandra. All interior, non-load-bearing walls were removed, and the spaces were reconfigured. They doubled the size of the front porch and added a series of rooms that projected from what was once the central cube.
The construction coincided with the arrival of electricity in Taos in 1928 and a modern sewage system in 1930. Electricity made it possible for Nicolai to carve and build at night while he painted during the day. The electric stove, oven, and refrigerator were the first in town! With the new sewage system, Fechin went to work installing three new bathrooms. |
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Fechin carefully planned window openings. Their locations and shapes were essential to accommodate the home's scenic surroundings, including the Sangre de Cristo Mountains under a high sky. The beveled glass windows brought in beautiful light, which bathed the textured 24" terra bayeta walls.
Working in his father's workshop as a youth provided training for Nicolai as a carver. He absorbed various influences from his Russian heritage and encounters with Native American and Hispanic cultures. He imported sugar pine and poplar from the NW, which was easier to carve and mostly knot-free to allow for his intricate carvings. First, he adzed all the wood, creating beautiful undulating surfaces. Then, armed with a mallet and chisel, he began carving columns, stair rails, vigas, doors, and furniture. Nicolai then tinted a uniform color with a thinned stain to allow the natural grain to show still. Lastly, each piece was hand-waxed to a beautiful sheen.
He fashioned door pulls, and hinges with the local metalsmith, Bill Hinde. Nicolai was also a coppersmith: The copper light fixtures and hood in the kitchen are of his own making.
By 1933, Nicolai had created one of the most exciting homes in Taos - a 3,545 square-foot, asymmetrical, adobe Pueblo and Mission Revival home that became known as a masterpiece of Southwest architecture. The spaces within the home were sympathetic to Nicolai's art collections and his carvings of sculpture, furniture, and architectural ornament. Eya stated, "A Russian house evolved out of New Mexico mud."
Unfortunately, the family's joy was short-lived. The couple divorced, and Nicolai and Eya (who was 19 at the time) left their home in Taos. Alexandra assumed the responsibility of maintaining the property. She lived in the house until 1946. The house became too much for her to care for, so she closed the doors and moved into Fechin's studio. The house remained untouched for 30 years until Eya returned to New Mexico in 1977, when she was appointed conservator and began restoring the home to its former glory.
In 1979, the Fechin House was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places and the State of NM Registered Cultural Properties. Living in the studio, Eya created the Fechin Institute and maintained active exhibition and education programs until her death in November 2002.
He fashioned door pulls, and hinges with the local metalsmith, Bill Hinde. Nicolai was also a coppersmith: The copper light fixtures and hood in the kitchen are of his own making.
By 1933, Nicolai had created one of the most exciting homes in Taos - a 3,545 square-foot, asymmetrical, adobe Pueblo and Mission Revival home that became known as a masterpiece of Southwest architecture. The spaces within the home were sympathetic to Nicolai's art collections and his carvings of sculpture, furniture, and architectural ornament. Eya stated, "A Russian house evolved out of New Mexico mud."
Unfortunately, the family's joy was short-lived. The couple divorced, and Nicolai and Eya (who was 19 at the time) left their home in Taos. Alexandra assumed the responsibility of maintaining the property. She lived in the house until 1946. The house became too much for her to care for, so she closed the doors and moved into Fechin's studio. The house remained untouched for 30 years until Eya returned to New Mexico in 1977, when she was appointed conservator and began restoring the home to its former glory.
In 1979, the Fechin House was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places and the State of NM Registered Cultural Properties. Living in the studio, Eya created the Fechin Institute and maintained active exhibition and education programs until her death in November 2002.
The Fechin House is a New Mexico Architectural Foundation Award Winner