Constructed between 1885 and 1887, on land purchased by Father John Marie Garnier, the San Juan Mission Church was the first permanent house of worship in Lincoln. In hopes of convincing the Diocese in Santa Fe to supply a full-time priest to the Lincoln Parish, citizens constructed La Iglesia de San Juan, making adobes for the walls on-site, and hauling vigas from the Capitan Mountains. While the building was under construction, services were held next door at the former Chapman Saloon. Citizens also raised enough money to purchase a massive 800-pound bronze bell from the Henry Stuckstede foundry in St. Louis.

As the population of Lincoln dwindled, the handful of remaining parishioners decided to convey the property to the State of New Mexico in 1973. The Department of Cultural Affairs and New Mexico Historic Sites assumed responsibility for its maintenance and opened it to the public in 1984. However, it is still available for weddings and other appropriate activities. While no longer a consecrated church, please show the same respect for San Juan Church as you would for any house of worship.