Visiting Humberstone had been on my list of things to do since I first arrived in Chile, and today I finally had the chance to go.
Humberstone and Santa Laura are ghost towns, the sites of long abandoned saltpeter refineries that noone bothered to deconstruct. Since the workers in these refineries lived on site - commuting to Iquique, 50 km away, wasn't an option in the late 19th century - towns with all kinds of amenities were built to cater to the workers and their families.
Around the two towns, there is nothing, except for brownish hills (and saltpeter). Right in the middle of the desert, there is not even enough water for nature to grow a few low bushes. Have a look at the landscape in this picture to get an impression - the front shows Humberstone's deserted basketball court:
In its prime, Humberstone was home to around 3000 people. Various types of housing were available, from tiny 13 square meter rooms with shared bathrooms for single workers to big houses with 140 square meters and accommodation for the nanny. To the left of this swing, right in front of the school, are some of the biggest houses I saw:
When Humberstone was closed in 1960, the people left with their belongings, but the houses remained standing. Due to the passage of time and earthquakes, the buildings are in various states of disrepair today. Many walls have cracks, and in many floors, the wooden planks have lifted to form small waves.
The theater is in surprisingly good shape - I suspect it has been restored so that its stage and 700 seat auditorium can actually be used safely.
The swimming pool - quite big with 24x12 meters - was constructed out of ship plating. Only the English inhabitants of Humberstone were permitted to use it. The locals were only allowed in just before the water in the pool was changed.
The entire atmosphere in Humberstone, an unpopulated wasteland with almost recent remains of civilization, reminds me of the computer game Fallout. Fallout is made to appear like the fifties, the time just before the clocks in Humberstone stopped. Coincidence?
This collection of advertisements for Chilean fertilizer, displayed in one of the administrative buildings, is almost too colorful when seen in direct comparison with the discolored buildings in the desert.
In Santa Laura, the situation is slightly different from Humberstone: all houses there were dismantled for wood, but the metal shacks containing the machinery, including some machines, are still there.
The owner's house has been outfitted as a museum, showing some furnishings and other items left behind. This was the dining room:
The main processing plant in Santa Laura:
In several of the buildings, there was still heavy machinery standing around. With the wind howling through the metal walls and rattling loose sheets, the atmosphere was almost spooky.
I found it extremely fascinating to wander around and discover what the passage of time has done to a once gleaming new saltpeter refinery. I want more sites like this!
Humberstone and Santa Laura are ghost towns, the sites of long abandoned saltpeter refineries that noone bothered to deconstruct. Since the workers in these refineries lived on site - commuting to Iquique, 50 km away, wasn't an option in the late 19th century - towns with all kinds of amenities were built to cater to the workers and their families.
Around the two towns, there is nothing, except for brownish hills (and saltpeter). Right in the middle of the desert, there is not even enough water for nature to grow a few low bushes. Have a look at the landscape in this picture to get an impression - the front shows Humberstone's deserted basketball court:
In its prime, Humberstone was home to around 3000 people. Various types of housing were available, from tiny 13 square meter rooms with shared bathrooms for single workers to big houses with 140 square meters and accommodation for the nanny. To the left of this swing, right in front of the school, are some of the biggest houses I saw:
When Humberstone was closed in 1960, the people left with their belongings, but the houses remained standing. Due to the passage of time and earthquakes, the buildings are in various states of disrepair today. Many walls have cracks, and in many floors, the wooden planks have lifted to form small waves.
The theater is in surprisingly good shape - I suspect it has been restored so that its stage and 700 seat auditorium can actually be used safely.
The swimming pool - quite big with 24x12 meters - was constructed out of ship plating. Only the English inhabitants of Humberstone were permitted to use it. The locals were only allowed in just before the water in the pool was changed.
The entire atmosphere in Humberstone, an unpopulated wasteland with almost recent remains of civilization, reminds me of the computer game Fallout. Fallout is made to appear like the fifties, the time just before the clocks in Humberstone stopped. Coincidence?
This collection of advertisements for Chilean fertilizer, displayed in one of the administrative buildings, is almost too colorful when seen in direct comparison with the discolored buildings in the desert.
In Santa Laura, the situation is slightly different from Humberstone: all houses there were dismantled for wood, but the metal shacks containing the machinery, including some machines, are still there.
The owner's house has been outfitted as a museum, showing some furnishings and other items left behind. This was the dining room:
The main processing plant in Santa Laura:
In several of the buildings, there was still heavy machinery standing around. With the wind howling through the metal walls and rattling loose sheets, the atmosphere was almost spooky.
I found it extremely fascinating to wander around and discover what the passage of time has done to a once gleaming new saltpeter refinery. I want more sites like this!
