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local Thursday 11 July 2024
In celebrating 200 years of Oranjestad...

Learn about the history of the famous town hall!

(Oranjestad)—If you’ve ever mansion for the first time, fur-
taken a stroll through main nished entirely by her sisters-
street Oranjestad, you may in-law.
have stumbled upon a big
green house with beautiful The mansion also contained
colonial design. This leg- the doctor’s office, as well as
endary house, now used a pharmacy. After the death
as a town hall for civil mar- of Jacobo, the house was
riages, was once owned by inherited by his son, an Aru-
a wealthy doctor and formed ban dentist, who converted
part of the elite neighbor- Jacobo’s office into his own
hood in Oranjestad. dental practice. Over the
by architect Chibi Wever, years, the house was rented
Jacobo Eloy Arends was an and constructed under the and used by third parties, but
Aruban physician, and in leadership of famous master eventually fell into disrepair,
lived in Oranjestad during carpenter, Dada Picus, who as the maintenance cost be-
the 1920s. In 1922, he mar- was famous at the time for came too high to cover.
ried Maria Monica Lacle, the his construction of beautiful
daughter of well-known busi- buildings. The land was sold to Land
ness man at the time, Adri- Aruba in 1986, but it did not
aan Lacle. The two lived a The construction of the house see a renovation until 1997.
posh life in the city center, started once Jacobo and Nowadays, it serves to host
and their mansion—once the Maria got engaged. It is weddings, and is attached to
center for neighborhood par- said that during the time of a modern building situated
ties—now serves as a public construction, Maria was not behind—the Aruban census by Jacobo’s brother Fred- in ruins. However, the Aru-
town hall for civil marriages allowed to see the building office. erico Maximiliaan (Machi) ban government recently
and is a cultural monument nor be anywhere near the Arends. Frederico was mar- announced its official res-
on the island. construction site. It wasn’t Jacobo and Maria’s mansion ried to Veneranda (whom toration, with plans to con-
until after her honeymoon was situated in front of anoth- the mansion was named vert this monument into a
The house was designed that she saw the completed er famous mansion, owned after). Their house was also governmental office and
constructed by Dada Picus, public space for visitors of
utilizing Veneranda’s design Oranjestad.
vision that was inspired by a Source and pictures credited
house she saw in Cartagena, to: “De Kolibrie op de Rots
Colombia. (en meer over the geschie-
denis van Aruba)” by Evert
Nowadays, this mansion lies Bongers.q

Visit the historic museum at Fort Zoutman!

(Oranjestad)—Located in rate buildings that, over the The fort itself was originally fort and the tower had mercial, military and social
the middle of downtown years, have been merged: constructed to protect functioned as different history of Oranjestad, offer-
Oranjestad, situated right the fort and the tower. the commerce bay of government center points, ing a glance into how the
next to the government That’s right, the iconic 5-sto- Paardenbaai from pirates including a tax and stamps social culture of the town
building “Cocolishi”, is one ry, squared tower was not and other disreputable office. For some time these came to be. If you are in-
of the oldest buildings of part of the original structure characters roaming the two buildings also housed terested in history and want
Aruba: Fort Zoutman. First of the fort, and is actually Caribbean Sea. Unlike the a police precinct and jail, to learn more about Aruba,
constructed in 1796, this called “Willem III Toren”. Willem III Toren, Fort Zout- and even experienced then Fort Zoutman should
site has been used (or left Constructed in 1867, this man had a more tumul- abandonment until the Cul- definitely be included into
unused) in many ways and tower was named after the tuous past, including the tural Center Aruba Founda- your itinerary.
have survived eras of war then-reigning king of The on-and-off reception of tion (CCA) petitioned for its The museum is open Mon-
and attempted disman- Netherlands, Willem III. Wil- unwanted members of the renovation in 1964, turning day to Friday from 9am-
tling. lem III Toren was originally English military several times the site into the Historic Mu- 6pm, and Saturday from
a light tower, but after a re- (The Netherlands was at seum it currently is. 10am-2pm.q
When anyone refers to Fort quest from Lieutenant Gov- constant war with England Despite its small size, The
Zoutman, they are actu- ernor Jan Helenus in 1866, it back in the colonial era). Historic Museum guards a Source: The Old Fort of Aruba
ally referring to two sepa- also became a bell tower. Over the years, both the rich depository of the com- by Jan Hartog.