Chautla Hacienda
Encyclopedia
The Chautla Hacienda was a formerly vast extension of farmland located in the San Martin Texmelucan Valley in the state of Puebla
, northwest of the city of Puebla
in Mexico. It was established in the 18th century, primarily producing grain. In the 19th century, it became the property of an Englishman by the name of Thomas Gillow. He passed the property to his son Eulogio Gillow
, who became the first archbishop of Antequera (city of Oaxaca)
. Eulogio worked to modernize the hacienda, building the first hydroelectric dam
in Latin America on the property. He also built the property’s signature building, an English style residence, locally called "El Castillo" (The Castle) which overlooks the dam. Today, only a small fraction of the hacienda remains, and it is run as a recreational and cultural center by an agency of the state of Puebla.
. Located between Mexico City
and Puebla, the hacienda lies within the Puebla metropolitan area. In the colonial era, the nearby highway which crosses the valley served as a market road that transported agricultural goods to the larger cities of Mexico City, Puebla and Veracruz
. The area has a slightly cooler and wetter climate than Mexico City, and the property is ringed by the remains of what were large forests. Overall, the property measures about sixty hectares, thirty five of which is forest and twelve is surface water. The property includes the original manor house, a small lake formed by a dam built on the Atoyac River
, and an English style residence hall on the edge of the lake.
The manor house was originally built by the Marquis of Selva Negra, the first owner of the property, but different parts of the complex date from different times. It is built at an elevation which overlooks the property, although trees block the view of the lake. The house now serves as the entrance to the hacienda and it is surrounded by a number of ash tree
s that are centuries old. Visitors enter a side portal into the inner courtyard. The courtyard fountain, built in 1941, is covered in Talavera
plates and tiles. Opposite the fountain is a small chapel. The four flanks of the building enclosing the courtyard feature small watchtowers on the four outer corners. The entrance to the site museum is on the north side. The museum contains photographs, paintings, furniture and other items displayed among the former rooms of the house including the salon, the kitchen, the dining room and one of the bedrooms. Beside the manor house are the remains of other hacienda buildings such as horse stables. To reach the rest of the property, one exits the house into the east garden, which is one of several on the property. This garden contains a large white fountain flanked by two reflecting pools. In this garden, there are a number of paths, including one that leads to the lake and the English style residence.
The lake is formed by a dam which was originally created by a former owner in the late 19th century. It covers about twelve hectares and is divided into two sections by a land bridge that leads to what is considered to be the most iconic building on the property. An English style residence house, locally called “El Castillo” (The Castle), was originally built as a residence hall for teachers at a planned agricultural college by the same owner who created the dam. It is a brick building with white accents. Above the door of the main portal, the date of 1898 appears, the completion date. The facade faces the land bridge dividing the lake and allows views of the entire lake.
dishes. The other popular activity is fishing in the waters behind the dam for trout and other species which are stocked by an organization called "Amatzcalli." A small grocery, a bait store, boat rental and fishing instruction are available.
in 1777. However, this marquis never resided in it. It is one of a number of haciendas established in the valley which formed the basis of the local economy in the colonial period. The hacienda was originally established due to the natural resources, the availability of indigenous labor and its proximity to regional markets. The climate, abundance of water and fertile ground made it suitable for the production of grain. Initially, the hacienda raised corn and wheat on about 6,000 hectares, and included lands that are now incoporated into a number of ranches and villages in both Puebla and Tlaxcala
states.
The hacienda eventually became the inheritance of the fourth Marchioness of Selva Negra, Soledad Gutierrez de Rivero Martinez de Pinillos. She had a daughter from her first marriage by the name of Mara Zavala y Gutierrez. In the 1820s, she was remarried, to an Englishman by the name of Thomas Gillow. Gillow was born in Liverpool
, England in 1797 and arrived in Mexico in 1819, during the Mexican War of Independence
. He became a fashionable jeweler and member of Mexico City society, allowing him to meet and then marry the Marchioness. Following his marriage, Gillow dedicated himself to running the family estate. After the marchioness died, Gillow married her daughter Mara. This may have been at least partly in order to end problems connected to the inheritance of the estate following the death of the marchioness' first husband. However, this marriage between Thomas and Mara was never formally sanctioned by the church. The union produced Eulogio Gillow.
When Mara died at sea in 1861, there were inheritance problems yet again, with Thomas Gillow receiving the Chautla Hacienda. He sold off a small portion of the estate in 1870, the first lands to be separated. When Thomas died in 1877, the remaining lands were inherited by Eulogio. Under Eulogio, the hacienda specialized in wheat and maguey production, and he worked to introduce modern technology and organizational methods.
, importing it from England, but it had worn so quickly that he later helped a Mr. Marshall establish an iron foundry in Puebla. Marshall went on to make a considerable fortune out of the manufacture and repair of farm and textile equipment. Eulogio also acquired other technology such as a threshing machine
developed in the United States. Unfortunately, the machine did not work well at the Chautla Hacienda, because the grain produced was coarser than the U.S. varieties. The threshing machine was left to rust in a shed. Eulogio offered to donate the machine to the Smithsonian Institution
, but only on condition that it be exhibited with a large sign saying, "This machine, awarded a gold medal in the Philadelphia exhibition, proved to be entirely useless in Mexico." Eulogio also worked to establish an agricultural college on the property, and built the English-style residence house on the dam to house teachers. It originally had a drawbridge
, artificial lakes and formal, symmetrical gardens.
, and officiated at his 1881 marriage. In 1887, Eulogio was appointed Bishop of Antequera (Oaxaca). Four years later, he became the first Archbishop of Antequera (city of Oaxaca)
. As Archbishop he worked to build schools, preserve colonial architecture and pushed for a railway connection between Mexico City and Oaxaca.
Eulogio lost most of the lands of the hacienda when it was invaded during the Mexican Revolution
. These lands were divided among local peasant farmers in 1914. A number of the hacienda's buildings were destroyed during the war, as well as furniture and administrative archives.
. He returned in 1921 after the war and negotiated the return of 150 hectares of the former hacienda, which he received shortly before his death. His descendants sold off parts of this land, leaving the sixty hectares which were eventually sold to the state of Puebla. Since then it was been run as a recreational and cultural center. The site has been also used in the filming of Mexican telenovela
s such as "Dulce desafío
", "Pueblo Chico, Infierno Grande
" and "El Maleficio." In 2000, an organization called Amatzcalli restored the lake behind the dam for sportfishing, stocking it with trout and other species.
Puebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
, northwest of the city of Puebla
Puebla, Puebla
The city and municipality of Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla, and one of the five most important colonial cities in Mexico. Being a planned city, it is located to the east of Mexico City and west of Mexico's main port, Veracruz, on the main route between the two.The city was founded...
in Mexico. It was established in the 18th century, primarily producing grain. In the 19th century, it became the property of an Englishman by the name of Thomas Gillow. He passed the property to his son Eulogio Gillow
Eulogio Gillow y Zavala
Eulogio Gregorio Clemente Gillow y Zavala was the first archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Antequera, Oaxaca located in Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca, Mexico....
, who became the first archbishop of Antequera (city of Oaxaca)
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Antequera, Oaxaca
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Antequera, Oaxaca is a Roman Catholic archdiocese based in the Mexican city of Oaxaca, Oaxaca. The cathedral church is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption....
. Eulogio worked to modernize the hacienda, building the first hydroelectric dam
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
in Latin America on the property. He also built the property’s signature building, an English style residence, locally called "El Castillo" (The Castle) which overlooks the dam. Today, only a small fraction of the hacienda remains, and it is run as a recreational and cultural center by an agency of the state of Puebla.
Description
The present-day hacienda is located in the San Martin Texmelucan Valley, eight km outside the city of the same name, in the municipality of San Salvador el VerdeSan Salvador el Verde (municipality)
San Salvador el Verde is a town and municipality in Puebla in south-eastern Mexico. It is best known as the site of the Chautla Hacienda, which was the property of Eulogio Gillow, the first archbishop of Antequera and contains an English style residence called locally called "El Castillo"...
. Located between Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
and Puebla, the hacienda lies within the Puebla metropolitan area. In the colonial era, the nearby highway which crosses the valley served as a market road that transported agricultural goods to the larger cities of Mexico City, Puebla and Veracruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
. The area has a slightly cooler and wetter climate than Mexico City, and the property is ringed by the remains of what were large forests. Overall, the property measures about sixty hectares, thirty five of which is forest and twelve is surface water. The property includes the original manor house, a small lake formed by a dam built on the Atoyac River
Balsas River
The Balsas River is a major river of south-central Mexico. The basin flows through the states of Puebla, Morelos, Guerrero, and Mexico. The river empties into the Pacific Ocean at Mangrove Point, adjacent to the city of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán...
, and an English style residence hall on the edge of the lake.
The manor house was originally built by the Marquis of Selva Negra, the first owner of the property, but different parts of the complex date from different times. It is built at an elevation which overlooks the property, although trees block the view of the lake. The house now serves as the entrance to the hacienda and it is surrounded by a number of ash tree
Ash tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
s that are centuries old. Visitors enter a side portal into the inner courtyard. The courtyard fountain, built in 1941, is covered in Talavera
Talavera (pottery)
Talavera pottery of Puebla, Mexico is a type of majolica pottery, which is distinguished by a milky-white glaze. Authentic Talavera pottery only comes from the city of Puebla and the nearby communities of Atlixco, Cholula, and Tecali, because of the quality of the natural clay found there and the...
plates and tiles. Opposite the fountain is a small chapel. The four flanks of the building enclosing the courtyard feature small watchtowers on the four outer corners. The entrance to the site museum is on the north side. The museum contains photographs, paintings, furniture and other items displayed among the former rooms of the house including the salon, the kitchen, the dining room and one of the bedrooms. Beside the manor house are the remains of other hacienda buildings such as horse stables. To reach the rest of the property, one exits the house into the east garden, which is one of several on the property. This garden contains a large white fountain flanked by two reflecting pools. In this garden, there are a number of paths, including one that leads to the lake and the English style residence.
The lake is formed by a dam which was originally created by a former owner in the late 19th century. It covers about twelve hectares and is divided into two sections by a land bridge that leads to what is considered to be the most iconic building on the property. An English style residence house, locally called “El Castillo” (The Castle), was originally built as a residence hall for teachers at a planned agricultural college by the same owner who created the dam. It is a brick building with white accents. Above the door of the main portal, the date of 1898 appears, the completion date. The facade faces the land bridge dividing the lake and allows views of the entire lake.
Tourist attraction
This area of the hacienda was strictly private property until it was turned into a cultural and recreational center by Instituto para la Asistencia Pública del Estado de Puebla, a state agency. As such it promotes the main architectural elements (the main house and the residence hall) as well as the lake and the forest that surrounds it. The site offers activities such as sportfishing, camping, picnicking, and rents out facilities for events. The English style residence hall attracts many visitors. Its roof is open to the public, and its restaurant, named "El Castillo," specializes in troutTrout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
dishes. The other popular activity is fishing in the waters behind the dam for trout and other species which are stocked by an organization called "Amatzcalli." A small grocery, a bait store, boat rental and fishing instruction are available.
History
The hacienda was created by Manuel Rodriguez de Pinillos y Lopez, who received the title of the first Marquis of Selva Nevada from Carlos IIICharles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
in 1777. However, this marquis never resided in it. It is one of a number of haciendas established in the valley which formed the basis of the local economy in the colonial period. The hacienda was originally established due to the natural resources, the availability of indigenous labor and its proximity to regional markets. The climate, abundance of water and fertile ground made it suitable for the production of grain. Initially, the hacienda raised corn and wheat on about 6,000 hectares, and included lands that are now incoporated into a number of ranches and villages in both Puebla and Tlaxcala
Tlaxcala
Tlaxcala officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tlaxcala is one of the 31 states which along with the Federal District comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 60 municipalities and its capital city is Tlaxcala....
states.
The hacienda eventually became the inheritance of the fourth Marchioness of Selva Negra, Soledad Gutierrez de Rivero Martinez de Pinillos. She had a daughter from her first marriage by the name of Mara Zavala y Gutierrez. In the 1820s, she was remarried, to an Englishman by the name of Thomas Gillow. Gillow was born in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England in 1797 and arrived in Mexico in 1819, during the Mexican War of Independence
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
. He became a fashionable jeweler and member of Mexico City society, allowing him to meet and then marry the Marchioness. Following his marriage, Gillow dedicated himself to running the family estate. After the marchioness died, Gillow married her daughter Mara. This may have been at least partly in order to end problems connected to the inheritance of the estate following the death of the marchioness' first husband. However, this marriage between Thomas and Mara was never formally sanctioned by the church. The union produced Eulogio Gillow.
When Mara died at sea in 1861, there were inheritance problems yet again, with Thomas Gillow receiving the Chautla Hacienda. He sold off a small portion of the estate in 1870, the first lands to be separated. When Thomas died in 1877, the remaining lands were inherited by Eulogio. Under Eulogio, the hacienda specialized in wheat and maguey production, and he worked to introduce modern technology and organizational methods.
Agricultural innovations, first hydroelectric plant in Latin America
Eulogio Gillow introduced electricity in 1903 by building Latin America’s first hydroelectric power plant on the estate. His father had introduced the first metal ploughPlough
The plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
, importing it from England, but it had worn so quickly that he later helped a Mr. Marshall establish an iron foundry in Puebla. Marshall went on to make a considerable fortune out of the manufacture and repair of farm and textile equipment. Eulogio also acquired other technology such as a threshing machine
Threshing machine
The thrashing machine, or, in modern spelling, threshing machine , was a machine first invented by Scottish mechanical engineer Andrew Meikle for use in agriculture. It was invented for the separation of grain from stalks and husks. For thousands of years, grain was separated by hand with flails,...
developed in the United States. Unfortunately, the machine did not work well at the Chautla Hacienda, because the grain produced was coarser than the U.S. varieties. The threshing machine was left to rust in a shed. Eulogio offered to donate the machine to the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, but only on condition that it be exhibited with a large sign saying, "This machine, awarded a gold medal in the Philadelphia exhibition, proved to be entirely useless in Mexico." Eulogio also worked to establish an agricultural college on the property, and built the English-style residence house on the dam to house teachers. It originally had a drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
, artificial lakes and formal, symmetrical gardens.
Expropriation during the Mexican Revolution
Eulogio was a priest, and a favorite in ecclesiastical and political circles. He was strongly allied with Porfirio DíazPorfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
, and officiated at his 1881 marriage. In 1887, Eulogio was appointed Bishop of Antequera (Oaxaca). Four years later, he became the first Archbishop of Antequera (city of Oaxaca)
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Antequera, Oaxaca
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Antequera, Oaxaca is a Roman Catholic archdiocese based in the Mexican city of Oaxaca, Oaxaca. The cathedral church is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption....
. As Archbishop he worked to build schools, preserve colonial architecture and pushed for a railway connection between Mexico City and Oaxaca.
Eulogio lost most of the lands of the hacienda when it was invaded during the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
. These lands were divided among local peasant farmers in 1914. A number of the hacienda's buildings were destroyed during the war, as well as furniture and administrative archives.
Public recreational and cultural center
Eulogio left for the United States and settled in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He returned in 1921 after the war and negotiated the return of 150 hectares of the former hacienda, which he received shortly before his death. His descendants sold off parts of this land, leaving the sixty hectares which were eventually sold to the state of Puebla. Since then it was been run as a recreational and cultural center. The site has been also used in the filming of Mexican telenovela
Telenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
s such as "Dulce desafío
Dulce Desafío
Dulce Desafío is a Mexican telenovela starring Adela Noriega and Eduardo Yáñez.-Plot summary:Dulce Desafío is a teen novela that tells a story about Lucero Sandoval, a sixteen year old girl who lives with her father, Santiago Sandoval and her sister, Beatriz...
", "Pueblo Chico, Infierno Grande
Pueblo chico, infierno grande
Pueblo chico, infierno grande is a Mexican telenovela, which was produced and broadcast by Televisa in 1997. Pueblo chico, infierno grande is a historical telenovela set in the Pre-Mexican Revolution period. It also aired on Univision in the United States...
" and "El Maleficio." In 2000, an organization called Amatzcalli restored the lake behind the dam for sportfishing, stocking it with trout and other species.