Lichauco Heritage House
| Lichauco Heritage House | |
|---|---|
 The Lichauco Heritage House in Santa Ana facing Pedro Gil Street | |
  Location within Metro Manila | |
| General information | |
| Type | Residential House |
| Architectural style | Bahay na Bato |
| Address | 2315 Pedro Gil Street, Santa Ana |
| Town or city | Manila |
| Country | Philippines |
| Owner | Lichauco Family |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Stones, Bricks, and Wood |
The Lichauco Heritage House or formally known as the O'Brien-Lichauco Heritage House is one the oldest surviving houses in Santa Ana, Manila, Philippines. Originally built in 1859, the house was purchased by a prominent Filipino lawyer and dignitary, Marcial Lichauco from a European family who fled the Japanese occupation in the Philippines. Having survived the Liberation of Manila, the house was declared as a heritage house by the National Historical Commission on July 10, 2010. It is also a home to the second oldest tree in the City of Manila after it was formally declared by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as a heritage tree on June 5, 2012. The Lichauco Heritage house is located along Pedro Gil Street with the privilege of being the only declared heritage house in Santa Ana, which was known to be the home for the upper-class society during the 19th and 20th centuries.
History
Initial surveys of the house indicate that it was constructed during the 1850-1860s during the late Spanish period.[1] It is deliberately constructed facing towards the tail-end of the Pasig River back when the time the river was an avenue for a flourishing market and a major transport route for visitors travelling in Manila.
Prior to World War II, the house was originally owned by the O'Brien family who fled Manila when Japanese troops invaded the capital. Unlike the other towns in Manila, Santa Ana is relatively spared from the destruction and the house became a place of refuge for the war victims. Among them are the Lichaucos who had to relocate eight times before finding refuge in the O'Brien house.
Following the American liberation of Manila, a prominent dignitary under former president Diosdado Macapagal and the first Filipino to be admitted to Harvard University, Marcial Lichauco, bought the house from the O'Briens.[2] In recent years, the house became an important remnant of Santa Ana's rich history when at June 10, 2010, it was declared to be the first heritage house by the virtue of Resolution 5 by the National Historical Commission.
Architecture and style
In a style reminiscent to the Bahay na bato of pre-1860s heavily influenced by Spanish-style architecture, concrete materials are used on the ground floor, varnished wood on the second and the traditional capiz for windows and other decorations. The house retains its original materials and architecture, like the molave stairs, the adobe walls, the wooden panels and the machuca tiles. It has a spacious second floor to accommodate the guests of the families during social gatherings. Screens are also added to the large windows to protect the second-floor veranda overlooking the Pasig River. Supporting the veranda is a row thick, plaster-coated Tuscan columns.
The house is constructed to strategically face the Pasig River due to the old custom of welcoming guests who mostly travel by boat during the time when the river is a major transport route. Standing in front of the house is a 200-year-old balete tree (strangler fig) which was declared by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as the second heritage tree within City of Manila. The Lichauco balete tree is the eighth Heritage Tree proclaimed in Metro Manila, [3] However, it is the first heritage tree to be declared inside a residential compound.
See also
References
- ^ Gamil, Jaymee (December 20, 2010). "Pre-war Santa Ana home now a heritage house". The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 2014-09-17.
- ^ Aquino, Tricia (August 14, 2012). "10 historic places to visit in Metro Manila". Interaksyon.com. InterAksyon.com. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
- ^ DENR (June 6, 2012). "DENR declares century-old balete as Manila's second heritage tree". Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
External links
