D. H. Lawrence, the author of literary classics such as Women in Love and Lady Chatterley’s Lover, and his wife Frieda first came to New Mexico in September 1922 at the invitation of Mabel Dodge Luhan, a New York socialite and arts patron who lived in Taos. The trip was pivotal for Lawrence. While the English-born writer only spent a total of eleven months during his three visits to New Mexico, the state made a notable impression on him. He wrote:
I think New Mexico was the greatest experience I ever had from the outside world. It certainly changed me forever.
The 160-acre ranch is located twenty miles north of Taos, New Mexico, off Highway 522 near San Cristobal at 8,6https://taos.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/dhlawrence-copy1-2.jpg00 feet. An ancient Kiowa Indian trail, still used to travel from Taos Pueblo to the red clay pits in Questa by the Taos Pueblo natives, crosses vertically through the property. Under the 1955 Last Will and Testament of D.H. Lawrence’s widow Frieda, it was entrusted to the University of New Mexico (UNM) for the purpose of creating a public memorial to the world-renowned writer.
The Taos community has a rich artistic, cultural, and historical legacy. It is the home of many diverse communities that contribute to this richness. D. H. Lawrence and his circle — Mabel Dodge Luhan, Georgia O’Keeffe, Lady Dorothy Brett, and others — formed an important part of this cultural stream. Along with Taos’ museums, galleries, and historical structures, the D. H. Lawrence Ranch is a living representation of that legacy.
According to the Taos tourist office, it is one of the most sought-after sites for visitors, second only to Taos Pueblo. Due to the efforts of the University of New Mexico D.H. Lawrence Ranch Initiatives and local Taos citizens, the Ranch reopened in 2014 after a five year hiatus and can now be visited Thursdays and Fridays from 10-2 and Saturdays from 10-4 (weather permitting).