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The Mansion (Baguio)

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Mansion House
Map
Alternative namesThe Mansion
General information
Town or cityLeonard Wood Road, Baguio 2600
CountryPhilippines
Coordinates16°24′44″N 120°37′17″E / 16.412222°N 120.621389°E / 16.412222; 120.621389
Elevationapprox. 5,000 feet (1,500 m)
Current tenantsBongbong Marcos
President of the Philippines
Inaugurated1908
OwnerGovernment of the Philippines
Design and construction
Architect(s)William E. Parsons

The Mansion, also known as Mansion House,[1] is the official summer palace of the president of the Philippines, located in the summer capital of the country, Baguio, and situated around 5,000 feet (1,500 m) asl in the Cordillera Central Range of northern Luzon.

History

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Aerial view of The Mansion, circa pre-1956

The Mansion House was built in 1908 to serve as the official summer residence of American governors-general at the insistence of Governor-General William Cameron Forbes. The name is derived from Forbes’ summer cottage in New England. Architect William E. Parsons, based on preliminary plans by architect Daniel H. Burnham,[2] the city planner of Baguio, designed the mountain retreat following tenets of the City Beautiful Movement.[3] In 1910, the Second Philippine Legislature met at The Mansion House for three weeks.

With the inauguration of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1935, The Mansion House, along with Malacañan Palace in Manila, was turned over to the Philippine President. The high commissioner to the Philippines, successor to the governor-general as the highest American official in the country and representative of the United States government, then built the American Residence, completed in 1940.

The structure was badly damaged during the Second World War and rebuilt in 1947. Since then, it has served as the holiday home and working office for each President during their visits to Baguio.[3]

The Mansion House was also used as the venue of important events, such as the second session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE) in 1947, the second session of the Food and Agriculture Organization in 1948, and the first meeting of the Southeast Asian Union (SEAU), more commonly known as the Baguio Conference of 1950, which was conceived and convened by President Elpidio Quirino.[3] More recently, The Mansion House was used as a venue for international conferences.

On January 21, 1994, communist rebel Conrado Balweg and his followers, who had been using The Mansion’s guesthouse as their headquarters since 1986, were removed from it by policemen without violence.[4]

Description

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NHCP historical marker

The Mansion House consists of an elegant Spanish Colonial Revival building and a detached guesthouse. The elaborate front gate of ornate ironwork, was once rumoured to be a replica of the main gate of Buckingham Palace in London, but this has since been disproven.[5][6][7][8][9] The front gate is still one of the most photographed features of the entire complex. The public may visit the inside of The Mansion House, which contains a museum featuring presidential memorabilia.

Across the road from The Mansion House is Wright Park, a quiet promenade with a long reflecting pool lined with agoho (Australian pine) trees.[10] A long stairway leads visitors to the back, where ponies for children are available for hire.[11] Dotted around the nearby hills are private holiday homes and small inns.

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Presidential Museum & Library: Mansion House". Presidential Museum and Library (Philippines). Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  2. ^ Cody, Jeffrey W. (2003). "Exporting American Architecture, 1870-2000", pg.23. Alexandrine Press, Oxford. ISBN 0-203-98658-X.
  3. ^ a b c Galang, Willie (January 23, 2010). "Mansion House (NHI Marker)". Flickr.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-21.
  4. ^ "Cops eject Balweg from Mansion House". Manila Standard. Baguio: Kamahalan Publishing Corp. January 25, 1994. p. 4. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  5. ^ poebegone (June 7, 2009). "mansion-02"(Mansion House Gate). Flickr.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-21.
  6. ^ Atigra (March 8, 2008). "Buckingham Palace gate". Flickr.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-21.
  7. ^ dre464 (July 2, 2007). "Gates at Buckingham Palace". Flickr.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-21.
  8. ^ srw1961 (December 7, 2008). "Buckingham Palace Gates". Flickr.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-21.
  9. ^ rhoadeecha (July 24, 2005). "Buckingham Palace". Flickr.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-21.
  10. ^ Rhenz Carlo (January 1, 2008). "Wright Park". Flickr.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-21.
  11. ^ jeromelocson (April 10, 2011). "Wright Park, Baguio City". Flickr.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-21.
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