Description
This two-story house is an example of modest 19th-century architecture. In 1857, Rimon Wilhuizen acquired the plot with a small dwelling, eventually expanding his property to include the adjacent corner buildings. Rimon, born into slavery in 1804, gained his freedom and the surname Wilhuizen in 1846. A carpenter by profession, he was married to Maria Oleana, with whom he had a daughter. It is quite probable that Rimon constructed the two-story house. He owned additional properties in Otrobanda, such as a mansion and a bakery, which he sold in 1861 for a substantial sum.
Towards the end of the 19th century, Gasthuisstraat 37 was acquired by the Monsanto family, who owned a significant amount of real estate in Otrobanda and beyond. The house stayed in the Monsanto family for six decades.
In 2002, Stichting Monumentenzorg Curaçao purchased and restored the building.
Name of property:
None
Characteristics:
Semi-detached two-storey structure as part of a building block which includes nr. 39. One continuous gable roof. Funnel-shaped gable with flat 19th-century top end. Profiled moldings in the front façade are broken at the separation line, indicating that the structure originally consisted of two parts.
Monument value:
Specific value as a structure built in a sober and characteristic architecture. Specific value as part of a protected monumental townscape.
Construction period:
Not listed in the Register of Monuments
REGISTER OF LISTED HERITAGE
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