Casa Gongora (Gongora House), Panama City

Góngora House is a rare surviving example of 18th-century domestic colonial architecture, notable for its traditional wooden construction and period details. Unlike the stone and masonry buildings that dominate much of the Old Town today, the house preserves a form of residential architecture once common in Panama but largely lost to fires, decay, and later redevelopment. The house is usually dated to the mid-18th century and is associated in local accounts with the merchant Góngora Cáceres, linked to the pearl trade.

The property changed hands many times over the centuries and was transferred to the Municipality of Panama in 1995. Before becoming municipal property, the house passed through private and institutional ownership. When the Historic District of Panama City received UNESCO World Heritage inscription in 1997, Góngora House fell within that protected urban fabric.

A major restoration from 1998 to 1999 aimed to preserve surviving original elements, and sources consistently note the retention of features such as wooden doors, balconies, and other historic woodwork. Today, the house is used as a municipal cultural venue, often hosting exhibitions and occasional public programs, making it as much a living community space as an architectural survivor.