Powder Guardhouse

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Memory · Subcategory: Sites of memory · Year: 1753 · Authors: Fausto Caballero

This installation, built in 1753 by the engineer Fausto Caballero and located near the Castillo de San Juan, initially served as a powder magazine, then as the guardhouse of the old castle and finally as the guardhouse of the huge gunpowder warehouse located a little further south.

The building, refurbished in 1798, consisted of a double bay of a single storey surrounded by a thick wall. Inside its rectangle were eight rooms, a vestibule, kitchen, coach house, latrine, stable and two rear courtyards, one of which had a well. On the outside, its sober façade was bordered by a low masonry wall. At one corner, a detached sentry box made of red ashlar was established.

We know that the building was in good condition in the mid-19th century. In 1927 this installation was ceded by the army to the town hall, which used it as a warehouse until its disappearance, well into the 20th century.

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