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The "Xanadú Mansion" Golf Course Club House, located on the San
Bernardino crags, was designed by architects Covarrocas and Govantes in
July 1927.
The owner of this exclusive estate was French American millionaire Irenee
Dupont de Nemours, born on 21 December 1876, who eventually had 8 children,
35 grandchildren and 5 great-grand children. Irenee was the Dupont of that
generation who took the greatest interest in developing the company
founded by his great grandfather Eleuthere Dupont in Delaware in 1802.
During Irenee's lifetime, the company became the largest diversified
chemical products empire in the world, employing in 1957, 90 000 workers
in 74 plants worldwide. Before taking over the company chairmanship,
Irenee had several jobs in construction, finances and development.
In 1927, at the age of 49, he retired from the chemical empire
chairmanship and started to look around for a quiet place to spend his
retirement. Like many Americans, he found it in Cuba. That very same year
he purchased 180 hectares of land on the Hicacos Peninsula for 90 000
pesos. The property included 8 km of virgin breaches, but he chose the
rocky hills of the San Bernardino crags to build his dream house. The four
storey mansion, with 11 bedrooms and adjoining baths, three large terraces,
seven balconies and a private dock, was named "Xanadu", after
the exotic Palace built by the legendary Chinese warrior and conqueror
Kublas Khan, as described by the English poet Samuel Taylor. According to
the legend, "Xanadu" was the ancient kingdom of the Tartars,
extending from Central Asia to Western China and parts of Russia.
In 1932 Dupont installed the largest privately owned organ in all of Latin
America, worth 11 000 Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC). The machinery was installed in the basement
and the organ worked automatically and manually. Two shafts carried the
music to the lookout point and the lobby, without inconveniencing the
guests in their rooms. The furniture, including the organ, paintings and
piano, were supplied by Theodore Baily & Co. and Meras & Rico.
Precious woods were brought especially from Santiago de Cuba for the
ceilings, stair rails and columns, while the floors and bathrooms were
done in Cuban, Italian and Spanish marble. The actual construction was
entrusted to the Frederick Sneard Corporation at a cost of 1 300 000
Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC) and finished on December 30, 1930.
Dupont would stay at Xanadu for a few months each year from early January,
sometimes inviting important company executives.
The Dupont estate grew to some 1328 acres, covering parts of what today is
the municipality of Cardenas. The land had been bought at the ridiculous
price of four cents per square meter, but the estate's value increased
years later when the road, power plant and aqueduct were built.
The gardens were planted with coconut trees. On the Eastern slopes they
planted flowers and a vegetable garden, together with banana, avocado and
papaya trees. Parrots and cockatoos were imported to make the place more
tropically enchanting.
Although architect Herbert Strong designed the first golf course with 18
holes, it was later built with only 9 following a design by Sim Cuthrie.
The first four holes were built on natural soil, while the others required
refilling. The golf course was started in December 1931, and shortly after
completion, in September 1933, was hit by a hurricane that swept away the
greens and fairways from holes 5 to 9. From April to December 1934, over
US$ 10 000 worth of soil had to be dumped on the land and the golf course
was fully operational again in 1936.
The golf course was always owned by Peñas de Hicacos S.A. and its total
cost, excluding soil refills and maintenance, was over US$ 41 000.
Originally, there was the idea of forming a golf club with exclusive
membership, but this was never done. Playing the 9 holes cost $1.00, of
which $0.50 was for the caddy, and the rest for a public school.
In March 1957, Dupont visited Xanadu for the last time. On 12 December
1963, Xanadu opened as "Las Americas" Restaurant, with Russian
astronaut Valentina Tereshkova as guest of honor. That same day, at the
age of 85, Irenee Dupont passed away in the US.
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