Hacienda Chucmichén
Private Residence in Yucatán, Mexico / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hacienda Chumichén was an estate built in the mid-19th century for the aristocratic de la Cámara family. It is located in Temax, Yucatán in the southeast of Mexico.
Hacienda Chucmichén | |
---|---|
Private Residence | |
Coordinates: 21°13′46″N 88°55′22″W | |
Country | Mexico |
Mexican States | Yucatán |
Municipalities | Temax Municipality |
Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Postal code | 92479[1] |
Area code | 991[2] |
From its origins as a cattle ranch built for Nicolás de la Cámara y Castillo, it transitioned into a flourishing henequen plantation under the stewardship of Raymundo Cámara Luján, a prominent industrialist. During Yucatán's Gilded Age, which lasted roughly between 1870 and 1920, henequen comprised almost twenty percent of Mexico's total exports, producing 90% of the sacks and rope consumed internationally.[3] By 1900, the United States, alone, was importing some 81 million kilograms of Yucatecan henequen per annum.[4] This generated substantial wealth for a select few families, forming an oligarchy known as the gente decente (the decent people).[3] During this period, the entire Chucmichén estate covered 4,289 hectares dedicated exclusively to henequen. However, the Mexican Revolution and subsequent agrarian reforms led to the decline of the haciendas, including Hacienda Chucmichén, which eventually became ejidos, communal units with collective land ownership.
In the early 21st century, the hacienda was restored and converted into a luxurious residential complex.