A Plazuela is a fortified ranch that features buildings, barns, and a corral all surrounded by a protective wall. You can still see the remains of a plazuela at the Abó unit of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, which dates back to the reoccupation period from around 1815 to 1830. After the Abó Mission failed, it took a long time for people to move back in because of ongoing Apache raids.
By the 1800s, a few sheep herders started to return to the area because of the reliable spring water. The plazuela had several rooms, including a Torreon, or defensive tower, similar to one found at Quarai. Unfortunately, these defenses weren't very effective against the increasing Apache attacks, and Abó was abandoned again around 1830.
In 1869, there was another attempt to settle in Abó. This time, Juan Jose Sisneros brought his family to the ruins. The Sisneros family began constructing more houses and a plazuela in the area to the south and west of the old mission ruins. This time, their efforts were successful, and the Sisneros family still lives in the area today. You can see many of the structures built during this reoccupation along the Abó interpretive trail as it heads south from the mission.
