Construction
of the residence began in 1938 and was conducted by the
Compañía Sudamericana de Construcción
under the direction of engineer Horacio García Capurro.
The residence of the U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay was completed
and officially inaugurated in September, 1942 by Ambassador
William Dawson. In 2002, the U.S. Embassy in Montevideo
celebrated the 60th anniversary of the inauguration of the
residence.
The residence is two-storied and has an
area of 1,216 square meters. The grounds of the residence
include a swimming pool, tennis court, "parrilla"
(barbecue grill) and a picturesque garden containing a wide
variety of native Uruguayan vegetation.
Most of the materials used for the construction
of the residence, including the white marble in the entry
and grand halls, are Uruguayan. The Uruguayan hand-crafted
columns in the portico are unique features of the residence;
each made in single, continuous pieces.
The residence was designed in the Federal
style to replicate the U.S. White House. Thomas Jefferson
popularized this classic style of columns at the entrance
of his various architectural creations. Use of this popular
late 1700’s U.S. independence architectural style,
symbolized U.S. commitment to the southern cone and Uruguay
as integral parts of the Southern Hemisphere. The residence’s
location is also of historical and political importance,
as it was strategically placed directly across from the
front door of the residence of the Ambassador of the United
Kingdom to Uruguay.
Since its inauguration, the residence has
been the home of 22 U.S. Ambassadors and the center of numerous
and important events between the United States of America
and Uruguay.
President Dwight Eisenhower stayed at the
residence during his visit to Uruguay on March 2-3, 1960.
The guestroom that President Eisenhower occupied during
his historic visit is affectionately known as the "Eisenhower
Bedroom."
In addition to being a diplomatic residence,
it is a chief gathering place where U.S. and Uruguayan representatives
have developed and will continue to develop the principles
of freedom and justice that distinguish the excellent relationship
between the two countries.
Related material: The Residence of the Ambassador of the USA, Four Years After Its Opening
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