Initially La Cumbre was part of a community of farms and began to flourish as a town by the time the railway was built in the 1890s. As it was the highest point of the railway, it was given the name "La Cumbre" (The Summit) and the British railway locomotive engineers that participated were the first of an important presence of Anglo-Argentines that would become part of the town's culture even to this day. Unfortunately the railway now no longer runs and the old railway station has become the community centre, housing a small museum and tourist information office. The climate is moderate and particularly suited to people with bronchial and asthmatic problems.
During the 1920s British families built their holiday homes here, which contributed to the particularly English architectural style of La Cumbre. In 1924 the Golf Club was founded and is one of La Cumbre's features. For many years there were several English speaking boarding schools in the area, St Marys for girls which was adjacent to the Golf course has now become an old peoples home. Further afield, Reydon another girls school which has now become a hotel is located at about 3 kilometres North of La Cumbre in the settlement of Cruz Grande. Beyond that a further couple of kilometres are the much larger school of St Pauls which still operates as a school today but no longer taking in boarders and now accepting both boys and girls
