Historia di Aruba

Their foreign contacts may have been the reason for the particular external appearance of Schelpstraat 40 and 42. Schelpstraat 42 was possibly designed by  Merdardo “Dada “Picus. The buildings were property of the Ecury family. The trade house S.N. Ecury, established in 1908, was engaged with import and export of spirits and foods, represented Ford motorcars and Goodrich tires and was agent of several firms in refrigerators and radios. As of 1927 they owned a large business on the Nassaustraat. On the second floor of the building the ‘Roofgarden’ café was located.

Schelpstraat 40

This urban villa, built in 1910 or around that year on a rectangular piece of land, also referred to as a Caribbean town villa, which indicates that the style of the building formerly came from an inspiration from Curacao or from a similar design found in the Southern areas of the United States, the Northern areas of South America or from of one of the other Caribbean islands. The building has two construction layers. According to a friendly communication from Poppy Schouten-Ecury, the construction of the building took place in phases. The first construction layer appears to have been built in 1910/1911. The second floor was built in 1917/1918, around or shortly after the so-called ’kaboutergriep’. This is the birth place of Aruba’s war hero, Boy Ecury.

Schelpstraat 42:

This DWELLING-HOUSE, built in several phases on a compound ground plan, in which among other things a COUNTRY (CUNUCU) HOUSE and a MANSION of 1929 were connected with a GARDEN, GROUNDS DIVISION and OUTHOUSES. The present plot with building Schelpstraat 42 consists of a NS-oriented and a partially detached elongated main building, with two construction layers and a cap, as well as a traditional  and older Aruban country house  located to the right and linked to this main building with one construction layer and a saddle roof with caps above the galleries. It is likely that in 1929 the traditional house was linked to the mansion after the construction of the mansion was finalized.

To the left of the mansion is an intricately designed small door, which forms the entry to lane located along the left side, through which the garden located behind the premises could be reached.

Cunucu house:

This house  was built at the end of the 19th century (around 1870) in a traditionally old-fashioned construction style and stands with the cam parallel to the Schelpstraat and it is at the right angle to the direction of the building 1929. Together with the building on Schelpstraar 44, this forms the oldest component of Ecury-complex. The building has a rectangular ground plan and consists of a core with a gallery to the sides.

In the extension of the south gallery there is, against the east facade, a building capacity on a rectangular ground plan. The core consists of a construction layer with attic a saddle roof, covered with cross roof tiles.

Schelpstraat 44:

 It is believed that this cunucu (country) house was built, at the end of the 19th century (around 1867) as a dwelling-house in traditionally old-fashioned style. The doorway to the yard is located in the west wall. These premises were built by Louis Rosenberg and bought by the Ecury family. The cunucu house has a rectangular ground plan and consists of a core with a gallery on the sides. The core consists of a construction layer with (originally) attic and a saddle roof with on both sides (originally) a roof vault, with an inserted cap covered with Dutch plastered roof tiles. It is the oldest building of the Ecury complex. In 2002, a fire devastated parts of the ' fruteria ' (store selling fruits & vegetables).

 J.G. Emanstraat 14:

This DWELLING HOUSE believed to have been constructed around the 1900s, is partly built on an old water cistern. The building borders with the northern long side facade to the added on gallery against the back of John G. Emanstraat 16-20. The house has a rectangular ground plan, has a living area on a previous cistern and a hipped roof covered with sheets of corregated iron.

J.G. Emanstraat 16-20:

Built around the 1900’s this LIVING BLOCK consists of three connected houses.  Constructed on a rectangular ground plan, it consists of one construction layer under a hipped roof. The building is actually EW-oriented and has the direction of the ridge parallel to the building line of the facades of the Ecury-complex located on the Schelpstraat. The later established profile of the John G. Emanstraat does not run parallel to this. The building fits the internal structure of the complex where we see constructions parallel to each other or instead main directions of the building squarely located to each other. The building was later bought by Mrs Ecury. Its simplicity and scale allow it to fit well in the historical character of the surrounding buildings, with respect to the Ecury complex as well as to the buildings located across from the John G. Emanstraat.

J.G. Emanstraat 22:

 This is a wooden building bordering the historical wall of Schelpstraat 40. This simple building, on a rectangular ground plan, is covered with zinc corrugated sheets and belongs to the Ecury complex.

For further information concerning these premises, please contact the Monument Office.

Drawn up by the Monument Office