Casa del Cordón, Colonial stone building in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Casa del Cordón is a two-story stone building in Santo Domingo featuring a distinctive Franciscan cord carving above its entrance and Gothic-Elizabethan design elements. The structure displays thick stone walls typical of early colonial construction from the early 1500s.
Construction took place between 1503 and 1504, making it one of the earliest stone buildings in the New World. It temporarily served as the residence of Viceroy Diego Columbus and his wife before they relocated to a larger residence.
The name comes from a Franciscan cord carved above the entrance, which visitors can still see today. It served as a gathering place where colonial officials conducted important meetings and social events.
The building stands at the corner of Isabel la Católica and Emiliano Tejera streets in Santo Domingo's historic center. Since it functions as a bank office today, public access is limited, but the exterior facade is clearly visible from the street.
During Francis Drake's 1586 raid on the city, the building became a weighing station where residents were forced to measure their valuables to pay the English corsair. This event illustrates how the structure remained important even during moments of crisis.
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