Above: Courtesy of The School of Advanced Research.

There are 48 graves on the campus of the School for Advanced Research. Each bears a wooden post painted turquoise and carved with names like Zubaidah, Cucullin, Hathor, and Firouz. Although they might sound like Arabian royalty or Irish folk heroes, the names belong to the beloved Irish wolfhounds and Afghan hounds once owned by the White sisters—Elizabeth and Martha. The two built their compound, “El Delirio,” in the late 1920s near Canyon Road, and by 1930 had decided to purchase a breeding pair of wolfhounds, Gelert and Edain of Ambelside. Soon, another oversize breed, the Afghan, caught Elizabeth’s attention; she bought her first breeding pair from Zeppo Marx. With two kennels on-site for breeding, Elizabeth spearheaded the creation of the New Mexico Kennel Club and served as its president. She also founded the Santa Fe Animal Shelter in 1939. By 1960, 20 wolfhounds, 19 Afghans, one Scottish terrier, and eight dogs owned by the sisters’ close friends had gone to their lasting peace here. SAR offers guided tours of the campus on Wednesdays and Fridays, June through September.

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GETTING THERE
The School for Advanced Research nestles between the Canyon Road and Museum Hill neighborhoods, at 660 Garcia St. in Santa Fe.