SAN LUIS VALLEY — The Chama SPMDTU Lodge Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Dec. 31, 2018. 

The Sociedad Protección Mutua de Trabajadores Unidos (SPMDTU) Lodge Hall, a significant part of the local history, was built around 1920 near Culebra Creek in Chama. The area is part of an extensión, a long, narrow strip of land reflecting the area's early settlement by Hispanos in the 1850s.  

Constructed of stuccoed adobe block walls atop a concrete foundation, this lodge hall, or sala, served as a local chapter house for the Hispano labor union. With no additions or significant alterations, the building testifies to the artistry of the Hispano lodge members who fabricated the adobe blocks and erected the structure. 

The SPMDTU organization began in 1900 in Antonito, Colorado. A safety net in times of misfortune, sociedades mutalistas (mutual aid societies) such as the SPMDTU were especially important for rural communities. Founding members of SPMDTU Concilio No. 31 in Chama included farm laborers and sheepherders, whereas the nearby San Luis chapter tended to draw more merchants, businessmen, and townspeople as members.