Twin Houses, French-style mansions on Paseo de Montejo, Mérida, Mexico
Twin Houses are French-inspired mansions on Paseo de Montejo featuring ornate wrought iron gates, balconies, and decorative window frames across multiple stories. Both buildings remain private residences with their original architectural details and furnishings intact.
Construction of these mansions began in 1904 under architect Gustave Umbdenstock and engineer Manual Cantón Ramos during the Porfiriato era in Mexico. This period marked Merida as a prosperous city where the elite embraced European design trends in their new buildings.
The houses show how wealthy sisal farmers wanted to display European architectural tastes and make Merida's streets look refined and fashionable.
The mansions are located between streets 45 and 43 on Paseo de Montejo and can be viewed from outside since they line the avenue. Since they remain private homes, visitors cannot enter, but the architectural details are fully visible and worth observing from the street.
The southern house features a third floor with a mansard roof that sets it apart from its twin. This different roofline was intentional and gives each building its own visual character despite their overall similarity.
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