This house is located on the northwestern corner of the square of the city of La Serena, the capital of the Fourth Region. It stands out because it does not follow the traditional patterns of architecture. It is one of the few residential houses left in the area and it is the only nineteenth-century house opposite the plaza.
The block of the Plaza de Armas, where this house can be found, was occupied in the eighteenth century by the Guards of the city. Mid-century, the land was sold by the Cabildo to the Cortés-Monroy family. It has adobe walls and interior divisions of wood and adobe. The roof structure is of oak and covered with galvanized iron. The house has a very European design, because instead of closed patios, there are continuous small patios for light. It has two floors facing the Plaza de Armas, but the rest of the building has only one floor.
In 1918, the property was acquired by the Monreal-Rojas family, who added an extension on the north side of the house. Connected, but with an independent entrance, the new building was the same size and composition of the primitive house. This part was destroyed in 1981 and it became part of the small square that was created to hold the monument of Don Gabriel González Videla, former President of Chile between 1946 and 1952. The former president had bought the house in 1928. It was left to his family until 1977 when it was acquired by the State. In 1979, it was handed over to the Municipality of La Serena, its current owner. The house, in excellent conditions of preservation, is now a historical record and a museum.
