Pilar is a small community in Taos County, New Mexico, on the Rio Grande in the Southwestern United States. The original name for Pilar was Cieneguilla, from the Spanish word “ciénaga” meaning “marsh” or “marshy place.” Pilar’s swampy ground is caused by several streams running across a small flood plain formed by a bend in the Rio Grande.
Because the area also featured a flat plain along with a constant source of water, it was long frequented by the Jicarilla Apache. In 1694, the Spaniard Diego de Vargas burned the Apache village in the process of his re-conquest of New Mexico following the expulsion of the Spanish during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. The village’s modern day name of Pilar is said to come from a respected Native American who lived in the area by the name of Pilar Vigil.
The Sangre de Cristo Mountains tower around Pilar, offering amazing views, caves, climbs, and hidden treasures, including Native American petroglyphs and nature’s staurolite crosses.
Just south of Taos, Pilar holds its own on the arts front and offers an annual tour where “renowned painters, potters and fiber artists… from the village of Pilar open their homes and studios to showcase their works in acrylic, oil, watercolor, pottery, ceramic, pastel, silk painting & fiber art. The Pilar Studio Tour is popular because of […] the friendliness of its artists and the inspiring beauty of the natural landscape along the Rio Grande. 
Enjoy your time in Pilar!
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Poet Guide: Susan Powers Bourne
Sources: CardCow, Pinterest, Wikipedia, Veronica Tiller,