Clement Block with Mackel's Pavilion in Background Photo from Donnelly Collection #0509 Courtesy of the Citizens' Committee for Historic Preservation

Mackel's Pavilion Photo Courtesy of Museum of N.M. # 131745

44. Clement Block triangle	Corner at Grand & 6th	ca.1888-ca.1935
45. Mackel's Pavilion triangle	Corner at Grand & Douglas	1898-ca.1925

Here are two buildings, the Clement Block above and Mackel's Pavilion below, that exhibited the greatness of Las Vegas. S.A. Clements, a French-Canadian, built this building that was to house the San Miguel National Bank and the Las Vegas Savings Bank, which is the forerunner of the Bank of Las Vegas. J.B. Mackel, previously a shoemaker, established a liquor and tobacco business in the Buffalo Bar in 1885. Later he constructed this complex brick building for an eastside saloon and billiard hall. Both buildings were built in context with the triangular street pattern of New Town's commercial district, creating a dramatic and distinctive "downtown" that stood out among the frontier towns of the Great Plains. Terrible short-sightedness caused these buildings to be removed for gas stations. Apparently locating these gas stations a couple blocks away was too far for this new mode of transportation, the automobile. To restore this district's greatness, someday new buildings should be constructed based on the original concept of these two buildings. Eventually Las Vegas's importance diminished with the advent of a railroad spur from Amarillo, Texas to Belen, New Mexico. Las Vegas is blessed with 913 structures on State and National Historic Registers, that remain standing, but in just the last two years, five more registered buildings have been destroyed due to fire and neglect.

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