Palacio de Elía

02/10/2021

The Palacio de Elía was an old building located on the northeast corner of Boulevard Oroño and Mendoza in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentine Republic.

The mansion dates from the late nineteenth century and its period of greatest splendor was during the first three decades of the twentieth century, and later demolished in the last quarter of the twentieth century.

Origins & History

The so-called Palacio de Elía was the residence of Dr. Nicanor de Elía Foster (1864-c.1945) and Carolina del Campo, and it was located on the traditional Oroño de Rosario boulevard, becoming for decades one of the most picturesque places in the city.

It was designed around 1900 by the English architect Charles Evans Medhurst Thomas (1849-1918), who has left an important legacy of works in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires and Rosario.

Londoner Medhurst Thomas was a brother-in-law of Elía Foster and worked in Argentina together with other professionals for English railway companies. His is the project of the neocolonial house that is part of the architectural complex "La Atalaya" and which is currently the headquarters of the College of Architects of Buenos Aires, District IX, in Dorrego 1657, Mar del Plata. He also finished and decorated the Alvear Palace Hotel in Buenos Aires, associated with G.E. Harris, and designed the Rosario Customs building in partnership with the engineer Jorge Ochoa.

Elia's Palace was inhabited by several generations of the family and was surrounded by a lush garden designed by the famous French landscaper Charles Thays (1849-1934).

Its wall box, a combination of curves and straight lines, was worked in press brick with the edges in stone. Finished off in a mansard topped by a rich cresting, spiers and chimneys. The rooms opened onto spacious galleries and balconies with Doric columns. The windows were of the sash type with spread glass.

It's period of greatest splendor was during the first three decades of the 20th century when relevant social events were held, such as weddings that attracted attention and took the local inhabitants out of the daily routine.

The latter would not escape the usual in the parties of that nucleus, where the main hall had been enabled for dancing and the hall and the other adjoining rooms were occupied by tables arranged with great taste and adorned with precious corbeillas of natural flowers.

Demolition

Elía's Palace occupied a large space on Boulevard Oroño 1191, and was able to decorate the city of Rosario for many decades. However, Elía Foster's family sold the property in 1943 to Federico Alabern, partner of the Rosario Board of Trade.

With new owners, demolition work began in 1967 and an apartment building was built shortly thereafter.

Nicanor Zenón Carlos de Elía Foster / Lawyer

Nicanor Zenón Carlos de Elía Foster (Buenos Aires, Argentina; June 23, 1864, Santa Fe, Argentina; 1941) was an entrepreneurial and prosperous lawyer for some of the most important companies and institutions of the time, such as the Bank of England (Officially Governor and Company of the Bank of England), Spanish Bank of the Rio de la Plata, Bank of London, Mexico and South America and telephone companies, running water and electricity.

Family

Nicanor Zenón Carlos de Elía Foster was the son of Isabel Foster (1835-1932), in turn daughter of a prominent Portuguese colonizer and politician, and of Máximo Fernando de Elía Álzaga (1811-1865), landowner of a prominent family in Buenos Aires and cousin of Justo José de Urquiza (1801-1870).

His parents were married on January 7, 1863 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and together they had 2 children: Máximo Ricardo de Elía Foster (1863-1863), who died at birth and Nicanor de Elía Foster (1864-c.1945).

Nicanor de Elía Foster married Carolina del Carmen Micaela del Campo Lavalle (1871-?) on August 2, 1888 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and together they had 7 children: María Isabel de Elía del Campo (1896-?), Carolina de Elía del Campo (1890-?), Adela de Elía del Campo (1891-?), Lucrecia de Elía del Campo (1893-?), Carlos Nicanor De Elía del Campo (c.1894-?), Amalia de Elía del Campo (c.1895-?) and Ricardo de Elía del Campo (c.1896-?).

María Isabel de Elía del Campo had 3 children and married Mario Eugenio Casas Echesortu (September 6, 1888 - September 21, 1925), lawyer and president of the Jockey Club of Rosario in 1925 and president of the Social Club that same year.

Adela de Elía del Campo (May 26, 1891-?) married on August 8, 1913 in Buenos Aires Argentina and had 3 children with Enrique Ugarte Tomkinson (June 30, 1886-?), son of Marcelino Ugarte (1855-1929), an Argentine jurist and politician, who served for two periods as governor of the province of Buenos Aires.

Carolina de Elía del Campo (May 21, 1890-?) married Manuel Gigena Vergara (October 2, 1883-?) and together they had 3 children.

Lucrecia de Elía del Campo (June 30, 1893-?) married on August 18, 1913 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and had 4 children with Matías Mackinlay Zapiola Montanari (November 25, 1884 - June 10, 1969), lawyer, magistrate and university professor.

Ricardo de Elía del Campo (c.1896-?) Married María del Carmen Martínez Díaz on November 15, 1934 and together they had 4 children.

It should be noted that Nicanor's wife, Carolina del Carmen Micaela del Campo Lavalle, was the niece of General Juan Lavalle (1797-1841), and the daughter of the prominent Argentine soldier and writer Estanislao del Campo (1834-1880), who in defense of the State of Buenos Aires had an outstanding performance in the Battles of Cepeda (1859) and Battle of Pavón (September 17, 1861). In turn, granddaughter of Juan Estanislao del Campo y Maciel (1795-1861), hidalgo, unitary politician and Argentine military man who briefly participated in the War of Independence (1810-1825) and for many years in the civil wars of his country.

Biography

After practicing a few years as a lawyer in his place of origin, around 1894, Nicanor De Elía Foster (1864-c.1945) arrived in the city of Rosario in the Province of Santa Fe, Argentina.

His profession absorbed him in these early years when he carried out forceful lawsuits against large companies, which allowed him to consolidate a significant fortune.

One of them was the trial of the businessman, landowner and financier Teodoro de Bary (1845-1929) against the Land Company of Santa Fe. Another of them, the case of the British philatelist and businessman Charles John Jewell (1892-1975) against the Argentine Central Railroad (FF.CC).

The demonstrated capacity in the development of these lawsuits that makes his clients win, arouses the interest of many commercial and financial companies, especially those with foreign capital, which in the following decade and in a successive and systematic way incorporate him as legal adviser: The Bank of England (Officially Governor and Bank of England Company), Spanish Bank of the Rio de la Plata, the English Bank of South America, the River Plate Trust Loan and Agency Company, the Telephone Company, the Running Water Company, the Drainage and Sewerage Company, the Provincial FF.CC, the Argentine Land and Investment Company and the Electric Light Company.

The preeminence of his professional activity leaves him room to be director of the FF.CC. de Rosario and districts, majority shareholder and member of the ceramic council.

He was a partner and member of the Jockey Club of Rosario in the Province of Santa Fe, and has been active in politics for some years. He worked in many large companies with his Scottish friend Alexander Grant (1869-c.1945), who came from Scotland in the late 19th century and became a lawyer and accountant.

In 1928 and 1929 he served as president of the Rotary Club of Rosario, in the Province of Santa Fe, Argentina.

Death

Nicanor de Elía Foster died after a long professional career around 1945 and his remains rest in the city of Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina.

His descendants continue as Elía del Campo, Casas de Elia, Gigena de Elía and Ugarte de Elia.