The Hacienda Jalisco, now a boutique hotel, is a great example of restoration and conservation of architectural wealth found in the mining region of Jalisco.
By Rafael Torres Meyer
Beautiful dresses with crinolines made of the finest materials that could be imported from Europe and other luxuries that are now unfathomable in San Sebastian, were seen daily at the Hacienda Jalisco in its heyday. Its central patio dressed up for parties designed to show off the owner’s wife. She’d walk down the staircase, much like a European duchess, to receive her guests amidst amazement and admiration. Today, even though there is a good highway nearby and electronic communications making everything seem possible, such luxury is definitely uncommon.
The benefits of mining allowed the comforts of the first world to enter the wilds of the Sierra Madre. The mines were exploited from the arrival of the Spaniards, who brought in the opulence that comes from mining metals to such beautiful yet desolate landscapes. San Sebastian del Oeste was one such mining area, although it began a bit later than the rest. Mining in New Spain was the activity that brought in the greatest amount of wealth to the Spanish crown.
The Spaniards arrived to the convoluted territory of Hoxtotipac, inhabited by Nahuatlaca tribes, in 1524. After promising discoveries of gold and silver veins, they established three towns a few kilometers apart. They were the three “Reales”: Real de Resurreccion, known now as Real Alto, Real de los Reyes and Real de San Sebastian. They exploited precious and common metals for little less than a century. Later on, the deeper veins presented important technical difficulties for exploitation and the mines were closed down. Another factor that led to their closure was the obsessive dominance of the central vice-royal government from Mexico City. The government focused on exploitation of areas that were under tighter control, such as Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Guerrero and the central regions. Resources in other areas of the country did not become productive until the beginning of the 19th century.
In the 19th century, according to data registered by Mariano de Barcena, Jalisco contained about 377 haciendas dedicated to agriculture, cattle and mining thanks to its rich natural resources and geographical, topographical and hydraulic factors. Mining activity in this state gained importance in 1804 once the La Prieta mine was discovered near Talpa. From then on, other veins were discovered in gold silver and ….. Although most of the hacienda buildings disappeared after the Revolution, between 1910 and 1950, some remain standing. One of those is the Hacienda Jalisco, encrusted in the San Sebastian del Oeste town, some 4,300 feet above sea level. It was built towards the end of the 19th century. In 1865, various veins were discovered in Los Reyes and San Sebastian, so over 80 mines were opened and exploited for about 50 years. San Sebastian del Oeste became a booming town, home to 20,000 people, including many foreigners.
Hacienda Jalisco dominated the economic activity in the region, although it wasn’t the only hacienda around. It was in charge of the La Quiteria mine located in Los Reyes. It’s the only active mine in the region today. The sierra-type building used for housing is today a hotel-museum, as is the building in the center of town that had been the company store; both are now owned by different people. The ranch owner’s home was built on the left bank of the San Sebastian creek about a mile west of town. It’s built with two stories around a central garden surrounded by hallways. One of the mine managers had a wine cava built, the only one found in this type of building in all of the western Sierra Madre. At the western end of the property is an “alloy” patio with the ovens, the storage rooms and even a “well” for a water fall that was used to generate electricity. Hacienda Jalisco was one of the first to have phone service, although now, to benefit their guests and offer them a romantic, colonial-type experience, both phone and electricity have been discontinued.
The hotel has five bedrooms with thick adobe walls and elegant masonry work on ceilings and windows, with some of the original decorations al fresco that have been preserved from colonial times. The original hand-carved doors also remain for the guests’ enjoyment. Two other rooms have been set up to exhibit original letters, documents, books and maps produced by the mining company. The company store, with a much simpler but just as cozy architecture, is located on the southeast corner of the main plaza and houses the Pabellon Mexicano hotel.
