Sewell in an uninhabited mining town located in Chili on the slopes of the Andes in the commune of the Machali in the Chachapoal Province at an altitude of over 6,500 feet. The town was mined for copper initially in 1904 by the Braden Copper Company from the El Teniente mine. As the mine expanded, the town of Sewell expanded as well. In the beginning the town was mostly comprised of male workers who shared housing called colectivos, however later family housing was added. Ore was taken down the mountainside by railway cars by a narrow gauge railway.
By 1915, the town was well developed with a hospital, a fire department and a social club. The homes were beautifully painted in bright shades of blue, red, pink, yellow and more. And by 1918, the town had a whopping 14,000 residents. The town was plagued with threats of earthquakes, avalanches and explosions, and sadly in 1945, 355 workers were killed by smoke inhalation in a horrific fire. By 1967, the town began to decline with the Chilean government taking control of the mine and most workers lived in nearby towns using a newly built road to get to Sewell for work. Eventually demolition began of the city began but was halted in 1998 as the government declared the site as a National Monument and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today only 50 restored buildings remain. The area can only be toured with professional tour operators.
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