Banco de Ponce (building) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Banco de Ponce
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The Banco de Ponce building on Plaza Degetau
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 Location in Puerto Rico
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| Location | Amor and Comercio Sts., Plaza Degetau, Ponce, Puerto Rico |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1924 |
| Architect | Francisco Porrata Doria |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| NRHP reference No. | 87001003 |
| Added to NRHP | June 25, 1987 |
The Banco de Ponce building is a really old and important building in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It used to be the main office for a bank called Banco de Ponce. This bank later joined with Banco Popular in 1990. Even after the main office moved to a different city, this building was still considered very special. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on June 25, 1987, because of its historical value. The building was first built in 1924.
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Where is the Banco de Ponce Building?
The building is located right across from Plaza Degetau, which is a public square. It's a big building that takes up a whole small city block. It's surrounded by Mayor, Francisco Parra Duperon (also known as Comercio), Marina, and Amor streets.
What is Amor Street?
Amor street used to be called Callejon Amor, which means Love Alley. In 1991, this street was changed into a walking area, like a park, and renamed Paseo Antonio Arias Ventura. This was done to honor a long-time employee of the bank who started as a cleaner and became the general manager!
What Does the Building Look Like?
The famous architect Francisco Porrata Doria designed the Banco de Ponce building. It's a four-story building made of brick and concrete. Because the land it's on is a bit of a tricky triangle shape, the architect designed the building's front to wrap around two streets and a narrow part facing Plaza Las Delicias.
Building Style and Materials
The building's style is mostly Beaux-Arts neoclassical. This means it looks like old Greek and Roman buildings. It has three main sections that go all the way around the building. The bottom part is made of a pinkish stone. This stone came from a nearby quarry and has been used in many other buildings in Ponce.
Inside the Bank Building
The second and third floors used to hold the bank's offices. These floors have fancy plasterwork with square columns, brackets, and decorations. You can see many natural designs, like flowers, everywhere. For a while, the third floor of the building was even used as a ballroom for Ponce's old casino!
What is the Building Used for Today?
When Banco de Ponce joined with Banco Popular in 1990, this building kept operating as Banco de Ponce for a bit. But eventually, all the branches became Banco Popular. Later, the building was sold to Scotiabank, a Canadian bank.
However, Banco Popular later got the building back from Scotiabank. Today, the first floor of the building is a branch of Banco Popular. The fourth floor holds Banco Popular's regional offices and their Commercial Banking Center.
