BRITISH CLOCK TOWER

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Torre de los Ingleses (British Clock Tower) is located in the center of Plaza San Martin. In 1713, the land that was to become the Plaza was sold to the British South Sea Company, which operated their slave market from the former governor's residence. A fort and bullring were also built on the land and was the site of the 1807 defeat of King George III's second attempt to conquer Buenos Aires, after which the area became known as the "Field of Glory.” The Revolution of 1810 brought an autonomous government to Buenos Aires, which entrusted its Mounted Grenadiers to José de San Martín. Following his many military victories, Gen. San Martín’s name became nearly sacred in Argentina. In 1883, the area was converted into a plaza. The Elizabethan tower, sometimes called the Argentine Big Ben, was a turn-of-the-century gift from the British community to the city. The Plaza became the preferred location for some of Argentina's wealthiest landowners. Plaza San Martín took its current form in 1936. The surrounding area has seen much of its older architecture replaced by high-rises, but the Plaza has remained timeless.