Madrid, New Mexico

Madrid is a rarity, a ghost town whose story has a happy ending. The town thrived as a coal-mining town in the late 1800's and early 1900's, but by the 1950's the availability of other energy sources and the falling demand for coal had stolen the town's livelihood. When I visited Madrid in the 1960's, the site was abandoned, its only resident a caretaker who would chase off curious visitors. Madrid became a famous derelict, its often-photographed company row houses falling further and further into disrepair. If left to the elements, the picturesque buildings wouldn't have lasted too many more years.

But in the 1970's, life slowly returned to Madrid. People began to buy, renovate, and move into the row houses. Now, like nearby Cerrillos, Madrid has experienced a second youth as an artist colony. But there are still plenty of rustic details to attract the ghost town hunter; I found this row of mailboxes to be a delightful arrangement of contrasting colors.

Madrid is easily reached via paved Highway 14, northeast of Albuquerque and south of Santa Fe.