Type: Tangible Immovable (Heritage houses and vernacular architecture)
Location: Old Municipal Town Hall (Lumang Munisipyo)
(c) Manny Bernabe
Brief Description
The structure is a traditional arquitectura mestiza in which the lower level is made of adobe and the upper level is made of wooden materials. The interior and other decorative designs are inspired from the Beaux-Arts style. The structure has undergone several restoration procedures, but the foundation and other important architectural elements are intact. Currently, it houses the Tourism Office at the first floor and the Municipal Library and Museo ng Baliwag at the second floor.
Significance
The structure was built around mid- to late 19th century. It was formerly the house of the prominent Gonzalez family which was inherited by Jose Gonzalez, brother of Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez, from their mother Mariquita Gonzalez. The house was used as one of the headquarters of General Henry Ware Lawton and his soldiers in circa 1899 during the American colonization and Philippine-American War. The house served as the Municipal Town Hall from 1907 to 1971. It was officially bought by the Municipality in 1915. When the offices were transferred to the new Municipal Town Hall in BagongNayon in 1971, the structure became the Municipal Library and Museum. It was then referred to as the “LumangMunisipyo” by the Baliwagenyos. In 2015, it was declared as an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines and the official marker was installed and unveiled in 2017.
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