Barelas
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Barelas-South Fourth Street Historic District
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The Red Ball Cafe, a Barelas landmark
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| Location | 4th St. from Stover Ave. to Bridge St., Albuquerque, New Mexico |
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| Coordinates | 35°04′29″N 106°39′13″W / 35.07472°N 106.65361°WCoordinates: 35°04′29″N 106°39′13″W / 35.07472°N 106.65361°W |
| NRHP Reference # | 97000774 |
| Added to NRHP | July 24, 1997 |
Barelas is an inner-city neighborhood of Albuquerque, New Mexico, located immediately south of Downtown. It consists of the triangular area bounded by Coal Avenue, the BNSF railroad tracks, and the Rio Grande. Originally a separate village, it was absorbed into Albuquerque during the railroad-fueled growth of the 1880s but still retains a distinct identity. The settlement was formally established in 1662, predating even Old Town as the oldest neighborhood in the city. Although it was long one of Albuquerque's most economically distressed areas, Barelas has seen significant development since the opening of the National Hispanic Cultural Center in 2000 and may be starting to experience gentrification.
The neighborhood's main commercial area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The area now known as Barelas was originally the site of an important river crossing on El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the main Spanish trade route through New Mexico. The crossing was described by Zebulon Pike in 1807 as being "400 yards wide, but not more than three feet deep and excellent fording". A settlement was formally established there (on paper at least) by colonial governor Diego de Peñalosa in 1662, though it remained largely unpopulated until the 19th century. The name Barelas is thought to come from a local landowner named Pedro Varela (or Barela), who had a ranch in the area.
Barelas in the late 1800s was a quiet agricultural community, with 309 residents listed in the 1870 Census and 350 in 1880. The village did see minor action during the American Civil War, most notably during the Battle of Albuquerque in April 1862. On that occasion, Union troops in Barelas exchanged long-range artillery fire with a Confederate position east of Albuquerque for several hours, with no casualties.
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