“La Ciudad Jardín” they call it. That’s Ranelagh in Buenos Aires. It is a town known for its trees and parks.
Ranelagh began in 1911. The Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway built a station here. The railway then created La Compañía de Tierras del Sud. This company developed the town.
The name Ranelagh comes from Ireland. It honors Viscount Ranelagh. He built Ranelagh Gardens in Chelsea, England in 1742. The first ten Tudor-style chalets appeared in 1913. A post office opened in 1915. The first school opened in 1916.
El Progreso country club was founded in 1924. It became the Ranelagh Golf Club in 1943. Roberto de Vicenzo was a member. He was a 7-time PGA Tour champion. The golf course is now named for him.
The Mercedarian Order built a chapel in 1938. It became the Nuestra Señora de la Merced Temple in 1939. The Parish of Ranelagh was recognized in 1941.
A Jitney service started in 1944. It ran between Ranelagh and Berazategui. After its closure in 1947, La Vanguardia, a Socialist daily, had a clandestine press here.
Zucamor, a corrugated cardboard maker, opened in 1953. Despite a fire in 1957, it grew. It became a major box provider for the Argentine wine industry. Coca-Cola built a bottling plant in Ranelagh in 1958.
Ranelagh became a Town in 1967. Eva Hajduk created an arboretum near the railway station. After her death in 1984, it was named in her honor. The Berazategui Regional Hospital opened in Ranelagh in 1994. La Misión, the town’s newspaper, also started in 1994.
The Ranelagh railway station still has its historic building. Its gardens have won many awards for beauty. The “Asociación de Amigos de la Estación de Ranelagh” was founded in 1970. It preserves the station and gardens. Eva Hajduk was a member. The station park is named for her.
Ranelagh celebrates its day on September 17. This is because its park was named of Provincial Interest. This happened in 1992.
Roberto de Vicenzo, the famous golfer, lived in Ranelagh. Marinés Russo, a field hockey player, is also from here.
Ranelagh. A garden city with a rich past. A place where history and nature intertwine.