A zaguan is a compound with a street doorway entrance usually leading back to a courtyard, which is surrounded by one-deep rooms.

In 1854, James L. Johnson, a well-to-do merchant who was linked to the trade network of the Santa Fe Trail, purchased the house for $250.

He and his wife expanded the property adding an additional multi-roomed house, large gardens fed by an acequia to which he had water rights.

Other structures the Johnsons built include corrals and stables, chicken coops, hog pens and a smoke shed.

The Johnsons eventually expanded the El Zaguan into a mansion of 24 rooms with a library overlooking the garden and a private chapel.

Following Dietrich's death, the property was acquired by the El Zaguan, Inc. corporation, owned by John Gaw Meem, a well-known local architect.

[2] The façade is 150 feet long, located on the north side of Canyon Road in the Santa Fe Historic District.