Unión del Porvenir de Taborda-Piñeiro

Society founded in 1918 in New York.

Building of Unión del Porvenir de Taborda e Piñeiro with the US flag (photo by Fernando Pino, courtesy of Natalia Jorge)

Society founded in New York on December 24, 1918. It had its building in 409 West 39th Street. Later, delegations were also founded in Buenos Aires (1919) and Lisbon (1921). As in the case of other societies, its goal was to build a community center in Galicia to facilitate access to education for its members and their families, and a place for leisure activities. The center was built on the border between the two parishes and inaugurated on June 28, 1931. Its architectural style is inspired by the functionality and modernity of the schools of the Latin American Republics. The total cost, funded by the three delegations, was 36,517 pesetas (old Spanish currency).

Building of Unión del Porvenir de Taborda e Piñeiro, nowadays (personal collection)

New York engraved on the stone of the building of Unión del Porvenir de Taborda e Piñeiro (personal collection)

The building was confiscated during the Spanish Civil War and used as a barracks for Franco’s troops. Afterwards, it was a school until the 1970s, when it was closed and later abandoned. It was not rehabilitated until well into the 21st century and reopened in 2013. It currently functions as a social center and has for example a cafe and a function hall. Almost a century after its construction, the residents of Taborda and Piñeiro can once again enjoy the heritage left by their migrants (Source: exhibition designed by the historian Natalia Jorge Pereira).