Fundación Biblioteca Rafael Hernández Colón facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fundación Biblioteca Rafael Hernández Colón |
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| Headquarters of Fundación Biblioteca Rafael Hernández Colón in Barrio Quinto, Ponce, Puerto Rico | |
| Type | Gubernatorial library |
| Scope | Administration of Gov. Rafael Hernández Colón |
| Established | 1992 |
| Location | Calle Mayor at Calle Castillo (SE corner), Barrio Quinto, Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Coordinates | 18°0′51.0474″N 66°36′43.452″W / 18.014179833°N 66.61207000°W |
| Branches | Six Major areas:
RHC Gubernatorial Archives
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| Collection | |
| Items collected | Photographs, speeches, letters, documents, audios, videos, memorabilia, others |
| Size | 4 million documents |
| Access and use | |
| Population served | 3 Million |
| Other information | |
| Director | Lcdo. José Hernández Mayoral, Chairman of the Board |
| References: Informe Anual 2022, Fundación Biblioteca RHC. | |
The Fundación Biblioteca Rafael Hernández Colón (which means Rafael Hernández Colón Foundation Library in English) is a special library and museum. It focuses on the political life of Rafael Hernández Colón, who was the governor of Puerto Rico three times.
This foundation was started in 1992. In September 2015, it moved to its current home in Ponce, Puerto Rico. You can find it in the Ponce Historic Zone, at the corner of Calle Mayor and Calle Castillo.
Contents
A Look at History
The Fundación Biblioteca Rafael Hernández Colón is located in two old buildings that are right next to each other. Both buildings face west on Calle Mayor. When the library was built here, great care was taken to keep the history of both structures alive.
The Corner Building's Story
The land where the corner building stands was first owned by Juan de Dios Conde. He was the mayor of Ponce twice, in 1836 and 1839. About 30 years later, in 1872, a new two-story building was constructed.
Three years after that, in 1875, it became the Antiguo Hospital Militar Español de Ponce, a Spanish military hospital. In 1896, a businessman from Mallorca, Spain, named Gaspar Bonnín y Miró, bought the property. This happened after the hospital moved to a bigger building.
In 1898, the US Army took over the building when they arrived in Puerto Rico. Later, the government of Puerto Rico bought the property. A new building was then built on this corner. It was designed by Manuel V. Domenech, an architect from Isabela, Puerto Rico.
This building, built in 1897, has a neoclassical style. It has been used for many things over the years. It was once the Ponce Criminal Court and a district court. It also housed universities like Interamerican University of Puerto Rico at Ponce and Caribbean University.
The Second Building's Design
The second building, located just south of the corner one, was mostly a skeleton of its past. Architects Magda Bardina, Ligia Saldaña, and Roberto Pio Garcia from Atelier 66 designed its modern update.
Most of this building was built from scratch. It was designed to have all the modern things a library and museum need. This includes an electrical room, an elevator, offices, and restrooms. These new parts were added so that the older, historic building next door would not be changed too much.
A smooth connection was made between the new and old buildings. Halls now link them, making it easy to move from one to the other. This second building was built in 2014 in a modern style.
What You Can Find Inside
The Fundación Biblioteca Rafael Hernández Colón holds a huge collection of historical documents. There are over 4 million documents in its archives.
Besides the archives, the library also has an amphitheater. There is a Sala de la Historia Constitucional, which is a hall about constitutional history. It also has a children's library and a museum.
The archives contain important papers, like a speech given by Governor Hernández Colón. This speech was given when Ponce's mayor, Rafael Cordero Santiago, passed away. The library also has information about the Museo del Autonomismo Puertorriqueño. This small museum in Barrio Segundo shows Puerto Rico's political history. It highlights the important contributions from Ponce and its people.
Other Ways the Library is Used
In 2002, the Fundación Biblioteca was used to show a photo collection called Los pies de San Juan. This was a photographic essay by Eduardo Lalo.
When Rafael Hernández Colón passed away in May 2019, his viewing was held at the library. His body was displayed in the main gallery for people to pay their respects.
See also
- List of libraries in Ponce, Puerto Rico
