The Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Offices are two former mining facilities located in the Tarapacá Region, in northern Chile, which were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 2005. Both offices are a sample of the country’s cultural heritage and testimony of the time of saltpeter exploitation in Chile. Here are some of the things you can see:
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The nitrate economy
The saltpeter boom took place in the mid-19th century and lost economic importance following the development and production of synthetic saltpeter at the end of the First World War.
Economies such as Chile, mainly based on the exploitation of this mineral, were strongly affected. Between 1900 and 1929, this place was home to around 3,500 people, which meant a great demographic mobility of Chileans towards the north, which was later enriched with different waves of migration, especially from Peru and Bolivia.
Humberstone
The plant was built in 1872 and was the most complete industrial infrastructure of the era of splendor of the so-called “white gold.”
It is unique in its kind, as it was the first to use the shank system developed by the British Santiago Humberstone, a British chemical engineer who gave his name to this ghost town. The nitrate offices, located in the Atacama Desert, reflected a community culture and social identity that managed to transcend the closure of the nitrate activity in the 1960s. To visit both Humberstone and Santa Laura, you must purchase an access ticket at the ticket office. The Site also has services for renting rooms and holding events.
The museum
It houses a variety of objects related to the saltpeter industry, from machinery and tools to workers’ personal belongings. There are also exhibitions about life in the nitrate office and the history of the region.
Workers’ houses
You can walk through its streets and explore the buildings that are still preserved. It is possible to enter some of the homes, which have been reconstructed and decorated with furniture and objects from the period. Walking through those streets and houses of Humberstone really takes you back in time and helps you understand what hard life was like in these places.
Theater
The theater served as a cinematograph, showing silent films, talkies, black and white and, later, in glorious Technicolor, becoming the favorite entertainment of the Pampina family.
The school
In Humberstone’s office there is a collection of old trains that were used to transport saltpeter from the mines to the office. These trains are an example of the technology of the time and the effort required to extract and process saltpeter.
Old trains
In Humberstone’s office there is a collection of old trains that were used to transport saltpeter from the mines to the office. These trains are an example of the technology of the time and the effort required to extract and process saltpeter.
Church
It was built in 1934 by the Order of the Oblate Fathers of Mary Immaculate, when the Church of Saint Michael and All Angels was almost finished, it was discovered that the weight of the roof tiles had not been correctly calculated, and the walls began to crumble. give. Humberstone advised the placement of two iron buttresses on each side that he himself donated.
The British Cemetery
The cemetery has approximately 3,000 square meters and is surrounded by a wrought iron fence, supported by a small stone wall. Some graves are surrounded by bars, while most have simple crosses of iron, stone and wood. A product of the desert climate, like other cemeteries in the north, the flowers and other ornaments are made of paper and metal.
Within the niches, some marble tombstones sculpted in Europe stand out, along with sculptures of the same material, belonging to some notable figures such as James T. Humberstone, father of the nitrate industry, or Henry North, nephew of the saltpeter king.
Santa Laura
1.5 km away is another nitrate mine. It is called Santa Laura and is similar to Humberstone although smaller in size. The most interesting thing is its industrial area where machines that were dedicated to the extraction of nitrates are preserved.
Santa Laura stands out for its enormous chimney visible from a great distance, for its “machine”, made of Oregon pine and iron, where the cachuchos were and for interesting rooms and buildings, such as the crusher, the machine house; the administration and the plaza, among others…
It was built in 1872 and implemented with the “machine” system. During its useful life it went through periods of inactivity. In 1901/1902 it passed into the hands of The New Tamarugal Nitrate Co. Later it was decided to implement the Santiago Humberstone Shanks system to improve yields, coming into operation only in 1921.
Around 1920, Santa Marta had 495 workers. and 871 inhabitants. After the Great Depression of 1929, saltpeter companies and the Chilean State formed mixed capital companies in an attempt to maintain the viability of natural saltpeter production. Under this figure, Santa Laura, like Humberstone, is acquired by the Compañía Salitrera de Tarapacá and Antofagasta, COSATAN. Santa Laura remained active until 1969, the year it closed permanently.
Machineries
This is an area where the machinery that was used to extract and process saltpeter is exhibited.
Leaching Plant
The historic building of the Santa Laura Leaching Plant appears like a ship stranded in the middle of the desert. Surely you won’t miss taking a photo of this emblematic building built in wood and metal during the 1930s.
Alto del Hospicio Viewpoint
On the way back to Iquique you can stop in this town where there is a viewpoint with a magnificent panoramic view of the city of Iquique. It is also the place chosen by many paragliding fans to launch and fly over the skies of this coastal city.
FAQ
Where are the nitrate offices located?
The Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Offices are located in the Pozo Almonte commune in the Tarapacá region. Specifically, on Route A16, Route A5 intersection.
How to get?
From Iquique or car it is 50 minutes. By bus from the Terminal Rodoviario de Iquique it takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. There are also half-day tours that depart from the city.
In summary, visiting the Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works is a unique opportunity to learn about the history and culture of Chile, as well as to appreciate the architectural beauty of these old industrial buildings.
