Cuba became the first country in Latin America to operate the railroad services on November, 1837. Two years later the first railroad station called Villanueva was opened in Havana. The name of the place was related to the Earl of Villanueva,  Claudio Martínez de Pinillos. He was the President of the Board of Fomento, Agriculture and Commerce and the Board of Directors of the Railroad.

The Railroad Station of Villanueva was built in the site where there was a botanical garden. In its days there was a place where the daily city garbage was thrown and originally it was a big swamp. The construction of the building started in 1835 and it was destined for the station and other facilities.

The railroad station of Villanueva had two main buildings that were separated by the railroad area. One of the buildings was a 33, 4 meter long by 6, 7 wide rectangle with the façade looking at the Campo de Marte, today Park for the American Fraternity (Parque de la Fraternidad Americana). There we could find the administration headquarters, several offices, cashiers, tickets sale, scales and luggage dispatch for travelers. The other building was parallel to the north side of the one mentioned previously and was a ground floor with a roof. It was used by permanent residence employees and warehouses.Trains started to go out of the station of Villanueva on April1st, 1840. It was on November 30, 1912 when a last train left the place.

Park for the American Fraternity

The Park for the American Fraternity is near the National Capitol, in the place where part of the Campo de Marte was. It was opened on February 24 th, 1928 in the celebration of the 6th Pan-American Conference in Havana. There is a very big ceiba, which roots were fertilized with soil from 21 countries in America. The soil was brought along by the mission leaders who came to the conference and was watered with water from rivers of those nations.