If you pass by Cas Veneranda on Wilhelminastraat, you will notice that work has
stopped and the entrances to the building have been closed again. The
restoration project has not stopped, but the first phase has been completed.
During the past two and a half months, the contractor General Property Services
carried out the demolition of modifications made in 1978 to convert the house
into the Papiamento restaurant by the cousins, Martin & Irvin Tauber. Afterward,
the Ellis family took over the restaurant in December 1984, and by the late
1990s, when they moved the restaurant, the house was left vacant. Mrs. Landa
Merryweather sealed the house some years later to prevent unauthorized
persons from entering. Unfortunately, in 2014, a major fire completely burned
the roof.
During the demolition work, Stichting Monumentenfonds Aruba (SMFA) removed
all the non-original modifications and reopened the openings that had been
sealed to prevent unauthorized access to the building. During this first phase,
everything that was not original was removed, and an investigation continued.
Details that were not previously visible were discovered during the demolition
work, providing some clarity on the building's original state. With all the
information obtained, the preparations for the next phase, which will be the
actual restoration, will be finalized by September.
In addition to the demolition work, the house and the grounds have been
completely cleaned. SMFA found a lot of trash on the grounds at
Wilhelminastraat, which had been used as a dump. Thanks to the cooperation of
Minister Arends, the City Inspector team, and Serlimar, the grounds were
cleaned. SMFA asks the community to help keep the area clean during and after
the restoration.
Cas Veneranda
This striking building on Wilhelminastraat 7 was constructed in 1936 for Federico
Maximiliaan (Machi) Arends, who was the Spanish consul. The architect was the
well-known master builder Dada Picus, who went to Colombia to find inspiration
from a building that Machi’s wife, Maria Veneranda, loved, and then returned to
Aruba to build the structure we now know as Cas Veneranda. One of the largest
houses in Aruba at that time, it served multiple purposes. It was not only a
residence but also housed the first "Super" ice cream shop and the first location
of Masyfral. Oncha's flower shop and the Spanish consulate were also located in
the building. In the late 1970s, the building was converted into the Papiamento
restaurant. During the last two years, the Papiamento restaurant also operated
as a nightclub (Club Nouveau) after the restaurant closed at night. After
Papiamento restaurant vacated the building in the late 1990s, it remained
empty. In 2023, Stichting Monumentenfonds Aruba reached a purchase
agreement with the heirs of Machi Arends, and in March 2024, the official
transfer of the building took place to begin the restoration. The project is co-
financed by Algemeen Pensioenfonds Aruba (APFA) along with the Nationaal
Restauratiefonds of the Netherlands (NRF) and the Ministry of Economy,
Communication, and Sustainable Development. After the restoration, the
monument will become the office of DEACI and will also have a space for
hospitality services.
Monuments Fund Aruba
Stichting Monumentenfonds Aruba has existed since 1996 and is a non-
governmental organization responsible for acquiring, restoring, renting, and
maintaining Aruba’s monuments. In addition, it emphasizes education and
awareness regarding the importance of our monuments as part of our cultural
heritage. Cas Veneranda is the 17th monument owned by Stichting
Monumentenfonds Aruba.
