Quarry Heights

Formerly the nerve center of the US Military Forces, Quarry Heights was reverted back to Panama in 1998. Situated on Ancon Hill, Quarry Heights also served as housing area for various US Commanders situated in the Panamanian region. The area has a wonderful array of large wooden houses, with tennis courts, palm trees and wide spaces; typical of the officers residences.

Quarry Heights traces its origins back to the early 1900s, when the slopes of Ancon Hill were quarried to supply stone for the Miraflores and Pedo Miguel Locks of the Canal. As the Canal Zone Army Command post in 1914, a total of 3.2 million cubic yards of stone was removed by then and that was when the area was in turn transferred to the Americans, to be used as a central command area.

French and American architecture dominate the various buildings in the area, some dating back to the Canal construction Era. The designs were adapted to fit the hot and humid Panamanian climate.

Quarry Heights, along with Ancon Hill, boasts of a spectacular 360 degree view of modern and traditional Panama, and has always been seen as a strategic lookout post in Panamanian history. Today, vast infrastructure developments of the area are ongoing, to bring Quarry Heights updated with modern Panama.

Liked this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!