Daring the protection of the Juiz de Fora industrial heritage

Abstract

The historical trajectory of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais State, Brazil is closely correlated with industrialization, whose peak occurred between 1880 and 1930. Around the end of the 19th century, when the proliferation of factories turned it into the region’s main industrial pole as well as one of the most significant in the country as a whole, it was nicknamed "Manchester Mineira" (or the Manchester of Minas Gerais State), particularly due to the architectural style aspects that in common with those then current in Great Britain. As of the 1930s, the local industry was hit by the crisis, various manufacturing establishments entering a process of decline and obsolescence, eventually shutting down. Few traditional examples have survived the neglect, demolition and reform
programmes that have significantly reduced the authenticity and integrity of the original architectural characteristics. Out of this group, only eleven remain partially protected by the local authorities, and only one benefits from full protection. Within the universe of the city’s industrial heritage, Fábrica dos Ingleses [the English Factory] is outstanding, constituting a paradigmatic example of the aforementioned trajectory of peak, crisis, neglect, and the ensuing controversial protection criteria. Founded in 1883 and considered the first large scale factory in the city, this industrial complex underwent some modifications and expansions before ceasing activity in the
mid-1980s. After years of abandonment, it was partially demolished in the late 1990s. The remnants of the original complex, a shed, a house and a chimney constructed at
the beginning of the 20th century, were listed in 2003. The derelict land resulting from the demolition was allocated to the construction of a complex of commercial establishments, the occupation of which has not even been consolidated yet.
Based on analysis of this factory's controversial trajectory, this work is intended to reappraise the protection and conservation policy in Juiz de Fora, especially in relation to its set of traditional industrial establishments, whose historical, artistic and affective importance require, in the author’s view, a different attitude. This reassessment is contextualized through the specialized conservation literature with emphasis on industrial heritage, above all drawing on the British experience, given the country’s prominence in the international scenario regarding this theme and the cited resemblances with the circumstances of Juiz de Fora.