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Monte Grande - Province of Buenos Aires

Architect CONI MOLINA is one of the most recognized professionals of Argentine architecture; not only in relation to his profession, but also because of other development related activities he worked on.

First Aids House

A copy made by Coni’s Printing House could be rescued. On its cover the following can be read: "VILLAGE, COLONY AND MANUFACTURING CENTRE OF MONTE GRANDE, founded by CONI, SANSINENA & Co., in the County of Lomas de Zamora in the year 1889".

38 farms and 54 villas can be found around Monte Grande’s village in a map containing the design of Monte Grande’s village, villas and farms.

The founder company, formed by both Coni (printer) and Sansinena Company, had the aim of turning MONTE GRANDE into a big manufacturing and industrial centre.

With this purpose, it began conceiving a BRICK FACTORY with continuous fire ovens and an important repair house for casting and metallurgy, both of them outside the area of villas and farms.

An attempt was made to establish a branch line from the brick factory to the railway station, located behind the main square.

Monte Grande’s main square

On the other hand, and in order to grant all kind of facilities to the employees of these establishments, “comfortable, clean and cheap” neighbourhoods or villas for the working class were planned.

For the construction of the village, the company intended to obtain the lowest prices through the accumulation of building materials bought in important volumes at a low cost.

The plan was finished with the establishment of a big market and BON MARCHE in order to satisfy the family needs.

MONTE GRANDE is a today a reality. Most of what was originally planned by its founders can be seen in this town and its surroundings today. Therefore, this town constitutes a living memory of what was achieved with great effort by those who had arrived to Argentina with the aim of “Making the America”.

 

Source:

- "El País que no Miramos" ("The Country we have not Seen"), a series of documentaries for television produced by Ivan Grondona. Archivo General de la Nación ("Argentina's National Archive").

 

Photos:

- "El País que no Miramos" ("The Country we have not Seen"), a series of documentaries for television produced by Ivan Grondona. Archivo General de la Nación ("Argentina's National Archive").

 

Translation to English:

Veronica Grondona

 

Copyright © 2009 www.argentinaparamirar.com.ar

Prohibida su reproducción total o parcial. Derechos de Autor 743247 Ley 11723.

Location

 

Monte Grande City

Esteban Echeverria County

Province of Buenos Aires

 

From the City of Buenos Aires, take National Route Nº 3 until the City of Monte Grande. (28 Km.)

 

See route map of the Province of Buenos Aires

 

Glossary

 

Bon marche: General store.

 

“Making the America”: (“Hacerse la America”). Expression that, when used in Spanish, is used to refer to those who came to America with the hope of making abundant money.