THE CITY In the south of the Argentine Republic is the region called Patagonia. Santa Cruz Province extends between the 46th and 54th parallel with a total area of 243,945 Sq Km and an estimated population of 190,000. Río Gallegos city is the capital of Santa Cruz Province and head of Güer Aike County. It is located on the south margin of Río Gallegos river, 16 meters above sea level. Its climate is temperate (steppe and desert) with remarkable thermal amplitudes because it is located in the temperate-cold region of the country. Río Gallegos is the Province seat of the three public powers (the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial), an important commercial center and acts as distribution center from the tourist point of view. It has about 100,000 inhabitants and it is the biggest inhabitant concentration in the province.

This house was the residence of the doctors Arturo and Víctor Fenton, first doctors in the city. Its exact date of construction could not have been established, but it is supposed to be from 1890. There are no plans of the house and it was considered one of the best houses in town at that time. It is an English-style building, typical of the region. The foundations system was made on wood pillars. The external walls are covered with pine boards and the fireplace in the entering gallery is the original one. Towards the end of last century a fire in the Government House took place, for this reason the headquarters of Government were moved to this place. It was residence of Governor D. Edelmiro Mayer and lastly the tehuelche descendant Catalina Ness and her husband Roque Parisi lived here. They occupied it until their death. Its renovation was made during 1989 and it was inaugurated as a Museum on December 10 of the same year. In its interior antique furniture and household equipment is exhibited, given on loan by relatives of pioneers of the region.

It was named after who was Governor of Santa Cruz Territory between 1932-1945. The museum was inaugurated October 1, 1993 and it is located where the Sea Lieutenant Juan Manuel Gregores lived. This house is part of the first housing complex constituted by twenty houses, built to be used by the superior personnel of the Government. Regional materials were used for their construction, the wood was brought from a sawmill of Punta Avellaneda (Lago Argentino zone). The museum was declared Provincial Monument and Historical Heritage of Santa Cruz Province by Act N° 2093. It has four rooms: the governor´s office, a dining-room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. Its furniture is of the time, photographs and written documentation.