Villa Smith in Algeciras, a historical link with Britain and Gibraltar

Algeciras has a strong historical link with Britain and Gibraltar. The Algeciras-Bobadilla railway line is an example, as is the ReinaCristinaHotel. Another is Villa Smith (photo). Used until recently to headquarter the Mancomunidad de Municipios, it also houses the Casa de los Guardeses (Keeper’s Cottage) that is the municipal museum today. The original grounds were used by several families for agricultural purposes until the 1880s, when they were purchased in 1890 by William James Smith, a shipping agent of Gibraltar and British Vice-Consul in Algeciras, who sold part of them to the Algeciras-Bobadilla Railway Company to build the Reina Cristina Hotel, which was designed by architect William Thompson, who later became the hotel’s director. The hotel was established to accommodate the growing number of people associated with the railway (another similar hotel, the Reina Victoria, can be found at the other end of the line in Ronda, close to the bullring).>

The remaining grounds, some 25,300 m2, was set aside for the Smith residence, a palatial edifice in the British Colonial style imported from Gibraltar and also designed by Thompson. It was used by Mr. Smith until 1919 and then by his son, who fled to Gibraltar with his family at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, and later to the UK at the beginning Second World War in 1939.

The younger Smith returned to Algeciras in 1956 and sold the property to a building company that intended to construct public housing there. However, the Town Hall would not issue licences for that purpose and acquired the land for public use, with the exception of two plots on which building was allowed. Nevertheless, the public park, also called Villa Vieja, was not fully equipped until 1975.

Its location on the western outskirts of Algeciras, though increasingly encroached upon by rampant urbanization, places Villa Smith right next to the Reina Cristina Hotel (photo), which also possesses gardens of significant botanical interest, as do the Jardines del General (the General’s Gardens), some 200m from those at Villa Smith. Other buildings nearby were constructed in the British Colonial style of the 19th century, which came about with an exodus of British residents in Gibraltar needing to escape the asphyxiating atmosphere of the Rock, and who played an important role in the development of Algeciras, particularly by building the railway, creating the first street lighting company and contributing to the creation of the Port. Surrounding the park are also some important archaeological sites that include the Roman salting pits of Iulia Traducta, the remains of a 9th century mosque and those of the flanking towers of what was once a walled city.

It is worth noting that Villa Smith is in desperate need of repair, the result of years of municipal neglect. Plans have been around for the best part of a decade but, other than essential work, nothing has happened yet. In researching this article we came up with a newspaper article dated November 12, 2009 (photo), announcing that work would be finished in June this year.

However, a recent press release from Mancomunidad stated that several organizations 'were supporting' the restoration of both Villa Smith and the School of Art. The question remains as to whether the Mancomunidad, Junta or Council are still intending to get things finalized at either of these architectural jewels that are an important part of the heritage of Algeciras.