Sunday, June 6, 2010

San Pablo Chronicles City II: Houses and Structures

* Fule-Malvar Mansion, where once the late President Manuel Quezon lodged

* A simple yet elegant house, nestled in semi-obscurity behind the city’s telegraph office and an old bungalow structure seen partly on the left of the picture

* one big house found just a few steps away from the city cathedral

* the current city library hub; obviously an old one; been thinking if it housed any public office in its heyday

* one of the many similarly constructed houses that dot the city proper

* an old Meralco office; on the logo – Manila Electric Company Light 1903 Power

* this is one great find; got this shot in the outskirts of the city going to Tiaong, Quezon

A few random pictures I have taken of some of the houses and structures within the city proper. Despite having the setback of not having in hand my sister’s cellphone (which have the camera that I use to take such pictures), I contented myself during the summer to roam around the city and take note of those houses and structures of interest so that I shall be able to make my thorough picture-taking and note-taking the next time I’ll have the chance.

I am still intrigued by the 1938 fire that wrought its havoc in the city, its extent and any other stories related to it. From the few uploaded photos I got hold on to that depict the city, it must have been a very wealthy and if I may daresay, progressive town at the time. I don’t know, I think there is still much to be learned about this city of mine.

1 comment:

  1. Very intriguing indeed, but I still find it strange for a town this old, you expect concentration of old houses like the ones you'll normally see in Filipino old towns. Although I'm sure that the wars (Phil-Am and WWII) had destroyed some, and also that great fire you mentioned, I still find it a little hard to believe that San Pablo have less. One observation, if I may share is that the American influence (both in architecture, building and religion)was heavy during the turn of the century for San Pablo. I found the first evangelical church in the country near the poblacion, a beautiful building that shows the elegance of American styled structures. Its possible that the thin number of antilean houses could be attributed to the cultural shift that took place when the Americans came to San Pablo.

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