Chautla Hacienda facts for kids
The Chautla Hacienda was once a huge farm in the Puebla state of Mexico. It started in the 1700s, mainly growing grain. Later, in the 1800s, an Englishman named Thomas Gillow owned it. His son, Eulogio Gillow, who became an important archbishop, took over. Eulogio made the hacienda very modern. He built the first ever hydroelectric dam in Latin America right there! He also built the famous "El Castillo" (The Castle), an English-style building overlooking the dam. Today, only a small part of the hacienda remains. It's now a fun place for people to visit, run by the state of Puebla.
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What is the Chautla Hacienda like today?
The Chautla Hacienda is located in the San Martin Texmelucan Valley. It's about eight kilometers from the city of San Martin Texmelucan. You can find it in the San Salvador el Verde area. The hacienda is between Mexico City and Puebla. Long ago, a main road nearby helped transport farm goods to big cities like Mexico City, Puebla, and Veracruz.
The weather here is a bit cooler and wetter than Mexico City. The property is surrounded by what used to be large forests. The whole area is about 60 hectares (about 150 acres). Thirty-five hectares are forest, and twelve hectares are water. The hacienda has its original main house, a small lake, and the English-style "El Castillo" building by the lake.
Exploring the Main House
The main house was first built by the Marquis of Selva Negra, the hacienda's first owner. Different parts of the house were built at different times. It sits on a high spot, but trees now block the view of the lake. This house is now the entrance for visitors. It's surrounded by very old ash trees.
When you enter, you'll find an inner courtyard. The fountain in the courtyard was built in 1941. It's decorated with beautiful Talavera plates and tiles. Across from the fountain is a small chapel. The building has small watchtowers on its four outer corners.
On the north side, you can find the site museum. It has old photos, paintings, furniture, and other items. You can see how the rooms used to look, like the living room, kitchen, dining room, and a bedroom. Near the main house are the remains of other old hacienda buildings, like horse stables. To see the rest of the property, you walk through the east garden. This garden has a big white fountain and two reflecting pools. Paths here lead to the lake and the English-style "El Castillo."
Discovering the Lake and "El Castillo"
The lake was created by a dam built in the late 1800s. It covers about twelve hectares (about 30 acres). A land bridge divides the lake into two parts. This bridge leads to the most famous building on the property: "El Castillo."
"El Castillo" is an English-style house. It was originally built to be a home for teachers at an agricultural college. It's made of brick with white details. Above the main door, you can see the year 1898, which is when it was finished. The front of the building faces the land bridge, giving great views of the whole lake.
What can you do at the Chautla Hacienda?
This part of the hacienda used to be private. Now, a state agency runs it as a fun place for everyone. They highlight the main house, "El Castillo," the lake, and the surrounding forest.
You can do many activities here, like sportfishing, camping, and picnicking. You can also rent spaces for events. "El Castillo" is very popular with visitors. You can go up to its roof for amazing views. The restaurant inside, also called "El Castillo," is famous for its delicious trout dishes.
Another popular activity is fishing in the lake behind the dam. An organization called "Amatzcalli" keeps the lake stocked with trout and other fish. You can find a small grocery store, a bait shop, and even rent boats. Fishing lessons are also available if you're new to it!
How did the Chautla Hacienda begin?
The hacienda was started by Manuel Rodriguez de Pinillos y Lopez. He received the title of the first Marquis of Selva Nevada from King Carlos III in 1777. However, this marquis never actually lived there.
The Chautla Hacienda was one of many large farms in the valley. These farms were very important to the local economy during the time Mexico was a Spanish colony. The hacienda was built here because of its natural resources, the availability of local workers, and its closeness to markets. The climate, plenty of water, and rich soil made it perfect for growing grain.
At first, the hacienda grew corn and wheat on about 6,000 hectares (about 15,000 acres). Its lands included areas that are now part of many smaller farms and villages in both Puebla and Tlaxcala states.
The Gillow Family and Modern Changes
The hacienda eventually passed down to the fourth Marchioness of Selva Negra, Soledad Gutierrez de Rivero Martinez de Pinillos. She had a daughter named Mara Zavala y Gutierrez. In the 1820s, the Marchioness married an Englishman named Thomas Gillow.
Thomas Gillow was born in Liverpool, England, in 1797. He came to Mexico in 1819, during the Mexican War of Independence. He became a popular jeweler and was part of Mexico City's high society. This helped him meet and marry the Marchioness. After marrying, Gillow focused on managing the family estate.
After the Marchioness died, Thomas Gillow married her daughter, Mara. This marriage might have helped solve problems with the estate's inheritance. Thomas and Mara had a son named Eulogio Gillow.
When Mara died in 1861, there were more inheritance issues. Thomas Gillow received the Chautla Hacienda. He sold a small part of the estate in 1870. This was the first time any of the land was sold off. When Thomas died in 1877, Eulogio inherited the rest of the land.
Under Eulogio, the hacienda focused on growing wheat and maguey (a type of agave plant). He worked hard to bring in new technology and better ways of organizing the farm.
First Hydroelectric Plant in Latin America
Eulogio Gillow brought electricity to the hacienda in 1903. He did this by building Latin America's first hydroelectric power plant on the estate! His father had brought the first metal plough from England. But it wore out quickly. So, his father helped a man named Mr. Marshall start an iron foundry in Puebla. Marshall became very rich making and fixing farm and textile equipment.
Eulogio also bought other new machines, like a threshing machine from the United States. Sadly, this machine didn't work well at the Chautla Hacienda. The grain grown there was rougher than the U.S. types. The threshing machine was left to rust. Eulogio even offered to give it to the Smithsonian Institution. But he wanted a big sign next to it saying, "This machine, awarded a gold medal in the Philadelphia exhibition, proved to be entirely useless in Mexico."
Eulogio also wanted to start an agricultural college on the property. He built the English-style "El Castillo" house on the dam to house the teachers. It originally had a drawbridge, artificial lakes, and neat, balanced gardens.
Changes During the Mexican Revolution
Eulogio was a priest and well-liked by important church and political leaders. He was a strong supporter of Porfirio Díaz, who was Mexico's president for a long time. Eulogio even led Díaz's wedding in 1881. In 1887, Eulogio became the Bishop of Antequera (Oaxaca). Four years later, he became the first Archbishop of Antequera. As Archbishop, he helped build schools, protect old buildings, and pushed for a railway connection between Mexico City and Oaxaca.
Eulogio lost most of the hacienda's lands during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1921). This happened when people rose up against the government and the old hacienda system. These lands were given to local farmers in 1914. Many of the hacienda's buildings were destroyed during the war. Furniture and old records were also lost.
Becoming a Public Center
Eulogio went to the United States and lived in Los Angeles. He came back in 1921 after the war ended. He managed to get back 150 hectares (about 370 acres) of the hacienda's land shortly before he died. His family later sold parts of this land. Eventually, the remaining sixty hectares were sold to the state of Puebla.
Since then, the Chautla Hacienda has been a public recreational and cultural center. It has even been used to film Mexican TV shows called telenovelas, like "Dulce desafío", "Pueblo chico, infierno grande", and "El Maleficio." In 2000, an organization called Amatzcalli restored the lake for sportfishing. They stocked it with trout and other fish.
See also
In Spanish: Hacienda de Chautla para niños
