Historical records point out that in 1544 Pedro de Valdivia had given Inés de Suárez these lands as an encomienda. Subsequently, different owners succeeded until 1767, when lands were bought by Antonia Portusagasti, married to Juan Cranisbro (Spanish form of Irish Gainsboroungh), who built the manor house and a chapel honoring their two children died in early childhood.

Antonia died by late 18th century and Juan died in 1803, who before dying and because they had not had heirs, bequeathed the house and the chapel to the Dominican Order, provided that they founded a retreat house for local farmers. However, physical possession took a long time to occur, and Dominican novice José María Urmeneta had bought the church and estate houses, which he donated to the order for erecting a novitiate.

In 1809, friars began the construction of the church and the convent. In 1811, prior general of the Order, Friar Justo Santa María del Oro built several cloisters and extended the chapel.
In 1824, Urmeneta became secularized and tried to recover his property, but everything was solved in 1834, after reaching an agreement in which Dominican friars would buy the lands from him.

In 1847, Friar Francisco Álvarez rebuilt the church façade with two towers and expanded barns and warehouses.

The story goes that Friar Justo Santa María del Oro, an upholder of the Independence cause, had given refuge to patriots in trouble, including Manuel Rodríguez, who dressed as a friar opened the convent doors to Royalist troops that were looking for them. Furthermore, another story tells that Friar Justo knew a passageway through which he could rapidly cross the Andes and meet the Army of the Andes in Mendoza to hold the mass, which gave rise to the legend of the “Friar Passage.”

On September 30, 1955, the church was erected as the San Vicente Ferrer parish, honoring Saint Vincent Ferrer, patron since the Colonial period. Many Dominican brothers from different countries have worked and evangelized in this area.

In 1983, a section of the convent was turned into a craft and antique center called “Pueblito de los Dominicos” (Los Dominicos Village). That same year, the parish house, the convent, the church, the warehouses and other adjoining buildings were declared Historical Monuments. Since then it is a typical place in Santiago and a must-see visit for national and international tourists.