Casa Serrallés facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Casa Serrallés |
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Casa Serrallés, today home to the Museo de la Música Puertorriqueña
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Location | Calle Salud and Calle Isabel (southeast corner), Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Coordinates | 18°00′45″N 66°36′39″W / 18.01262°N 66.61082°W |
| Construction started | 1911 |
| Completed | 1912 |
| Client | Juan Eugenio Serralles |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Alfredo Wiechers Pieretti |
| Engineer | Alfredo Wiechers Pieretti |
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Casa Serrallés
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| NRHP reference No. | 100011511 |
| Added to NRHP | March 13, 2025 |
Casa Serrallés is a beautiful old house in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Its name means "Serrallés Residence" in Spanish. It was built in 1911 by a famous architect named Alfredo Wiechers Pieretti. The house was made for Don Juan Eugenio Serrallés Pérez and his wife. Don Juan was the son of Juan Serrallés Colón, who started the Destilería Serrallés company. Juan Eugenio later became the head of the company that makes Ron Don Q.
Today, Casa Serrallés is a museum called the Museo de la Música Puertorriqueña. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2025, meaning it's a very important historical building.
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History of Casa Serrallés
This grand house was built between 1911 and 1912. It was designed by Alfredo Wiechers Pieretti for Juan Eugenio Serrallés Pérez and his wife, Rosa María Sánchez. They were a very important family in Ponce.
Where is Casa Serrallés?
The house is located in the historic part of Ponce. You can find it at the corner of Calle Isabel and Calle Salud. Its special location, along with its beautiful design and courtyard, makes it stand out.
It's also very close to another Serrallés family home, Casa Rosita Serrallés. That house is much smaller, but still part of the family's history.
Why is Casa Serrallés Important?
Casa Serrallés is important for many reasons. It shows us what life was like for wealthy families in the early 1900s.
Architectural Style
The house is a great example of the Neoclassical style. This was a popular design for grand homes back then. It often includes features like tall columns and balanced shapes, similar to ancient Greek and Roman buildings.
Historical Importance
The building reminds us of big changes in southern Puerto Rico during the 1920s. At that time, Ponce relied a lot on the sugar cane industry. This brought a lot of money to families like the Serrallés. Wealthy families often looked to Europe for ideas on culture and design, which you can see in this house.
Cultural Value
Casa Serrallés was the main home in the city for one of Puerto Rico's richest families. This family had a huge impact on the island's economy. They also had a large home on a hill called Castillo Serralles, which is also a historic landmark today.
What Does Casa Serrallés Look Like?
This house has one main floor. You enter the house from Isabel Street. It's a very long building because it sits on a large corner property.
The house was finished in 1912. It has many beautiful details, such as:
- Colorful stained-glass windows
- Floor tiles that were painted by hand
- Carved mahogany wood louvres (special window coverings)
- Very tall ceilings, about 12 feet high!
The property also has a big courtyard. In the back, there's a spacious private yard. It even has a special area for entertaining guests, where the family likely hosted many parties long ago. The city bought the house in 1992 after it had been empty for a while.
Casa Serrallés Today
In 1996, the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture worked to restore the building. They made it look as grand as it did in the past. Now, it's a museum dedicated to the music of Puerto Rico.
Inside the museum, you can see:
- Different Puerto Rican musical instruments
- Memorabilia (items that remind us of famous musicians)
- A huge painting in the family room by Miguel Pou. It's called "Los Músicos de Ponce" and shows many great musicians from Ponce.
See also
- Destilería Serrallés
- Don Q
- Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Juan Serrallés
