SUMMARY
The property in question has played a significant role in the history of the municipality over the last 150 years. It began as an inn for the numerous foreigners who flocked to these shores, later being transformed into a temporary hospital during the plague of 1856. It subsequently served as a school, which it remained until the 1997/98 academic year.
The property originally belonged to Manuel Joaquim da Costa Andrade, who was undoubtedly the person who constructed it. It then passed on to José Júlio Drumond Júnior and, from him, to Amélia Carolina de Sousa Andrade, who sold it to its current owners.
1. ACCOMMODATION
The north of the island was very popular among foreign visitors from the second half of the 19 th century onwards. In order to sustain the flow of tourists, support infrastructures were created, such as the Caramujo boarding house. However, private individuals couldn’t ignore the business opportunities and began providing their own accommodation. In the 1950s, accommodation could be found in São Vicente at Manuel Joaquim da Costa Andrade’s house and the Hotel do Sr. Dinis, whilst in Ponta Delgada it was at José Artur’s house. The first of these is the house in question.
It was almost certainly during this period that the cricket pitch was constructed, a sport close to the heart of Englishmen, who were the main visitors to the north of the island and, consequently, this house. Today there is still an area connected to the property, commonly known as "croque", and the surroundings reveal much about the frequency and profile of the guests. Tradition always maintained that the inn was held in high esteem by travellers in the north of the island and, today, the site is testimony to this fact.
2. HOSPITAL
In 1856, the island was devastated by an outbreak of cholera-morbus, which was particularly rife in the town and municipality of S. Vicente. The intervention of the authorities led to the presence of various doctors and the establishment of a hospital in an unknown location. However, oral tradition has it that this property also acted as a hospital, meaning that it must have been here that the makeshift hospital was set up in August 1856 for the treatment of the many patients suffering from cholera-morbus in the parish, which was particularly prevalent in the area of Feiteiras. During the cholera outbreak, the inn was transformed into a hospital, reverting to its original function in 1857.
3. SCHOOL
Formal education was implemented in the municipality in the last quarter of the 19 th century. However, it proved difficult to establish a network of schools and private buildings were used instead. In 1902, a building was needed for the school in Feiteiras, as a central and accessible area for all children in the parish. José Júlio Drumond Júnior’s property was chosen. The rent was 190$000 réis for nine years, provided that some improvements were made. The property remained a school for nearly a century, being returned to its current owners in 1998.
Alberto Vieira
PhD in History and Researcher at the CEHA (Atlantic History Study Centre)
