Hacienda San Pedro Nohpat

Hacienda History

The history of Hacienda San Pedro Nohpat dates back to the early sixteen hundreds. It is said, by the Mayan elders of the village that the hacienda was one of the very first haciendas built near the city of Merida. We do not know all the history of those early years, although the architecture of the Hacienda tells it's own story. The magnificent double arched main gate of the Hacienda paints the picture of at least two thousand head of cattle, a thousand per arch, which grazed the vast lands controlled by the Hacienda.

The extensive walls, watering and irrigation systems, speaks of additional quantities of various livestock, orchard, grain and vegetable production by the Hacienda. The "Casa de Maquinas",House of Machines, tells the story of the Hacienda's involvement in the production and processing of "Green Gold", a plant that wove the fabric of the Hacienda's history into the twentieth century. All of these enterprises paint a picture of vast wealth and power once held within the walls of the Hacienda.

In the early days of the hacienda, sugar cane, tobacco and cotton were the main crops of the haciendas. In the mid eighteen hundreds, the Yucatan "Gold Rush" began. A plant, native to the Yucatan, called Henequen, was found to contain fibers surpassing those obtained from the hemp plant. Since there was an overwhelming worldwide demand of such fiber, for the production of yarn, sacks, ship sails and mainly rope, henequen became the new crop of the Yucatan.

Haciendas began planting vast lands to henequen, at one point in time the Yucatan had over four hundred thousand hectares of henequen in production. Grand "Casas de Maquinas" were constructed to process the henequen. Hundreds of miles of small rail tracks were constructed. These tracks enabled the use of a mule and a multiple cart systems, which moved the henequen from the fields to the processing plant and then to market more rapidly. Yes, the wealth of the haciendas grew as fast as they could grow and deliver the fibers to market, thus henequen became known as the "Green Gold" of the Yucatan.

Haciendas grew in size and numbers, along with employing hundreds of native Mayan workers. As a result of this mass employment, towns developed around the haciendas. Hacienda stores and churches were constructed. The Green Gold era of the Yucatan brought a rapid economical expansion of the region. More than 1200 haciendas operated at the height of the era and the city of Merida flourished with grand colonial mansion construction. Merida was deemed the White City for its grander and beauty. Merida became one of the wealthiest cities per capita in the world, a title it still holds today, despite the downfall of the henequen industry.

With the coming of the Second World War a new material was invented which would lead to the end of the Green Gold era. The creation of nylon brought a sudden end to the production of henequen, with the world markets switching to embrace this superior material. Henequen Hacienda owners like those of Hacienda San Pedro Nohpat simply abandoned their haciendas, taking their fortunes to invest elsewhere. These once powerful haciendas fell prey to elements, slowly decaying and falling into ruin. The jungle recaptured vast fields of henequen and the rural population fell into poverty.

In the new era of the Yucatan, haciendas are being resurrected back to their once great stature. Yucatan henequen haciendas are now becoming museums, hotels, restaurants and private homes. A new world demand for natural fibers has seen some haciendas enter back into the production of henequen.

Hacienda San Pedro Nohpat welcomes the world to experience the ever-changing history of the Yucatan Haciendas.

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