San Germán Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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San Germán Historic District
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Plaza Santo Domingo
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 Location in Puerto Rico
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| Location | San Germán, Puerto Rico |
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| Area | 36 acres (15 ha) |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 94000084 |
| Added to NRHP | February 16, 1994 |
The San Germán Historic District is a special area in the town of San Germán, Puerto Rico. It's like a time capsule, covering about 36 acres. This district is famous for its old and important buildings. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. This means it's recognized as a very important historical place in the United States. The district has over 100 important buildings. These include the Church San Germán de Auxerre and the Convento de Porta Coeli.
Contents
Discovering San Germán's History
Spanish settlers created the town of La Villa de San Germán de Auxerre a long time ago. This was in the early 1500s. The town grew from a settlement started in 1573. The San Germán Historic District is this original town center. It changed a lot as the town grew quickly from the 1830s to the 1940s.
The district has many historic homes. One famous house is the Juan Ortiz Perichi House on Luna Street. It is built in the Victorian style. An architect named Jorge Rigau once said it had "one of the best developed spatial sequences in residential architecture in Puerto Rico." Many famous Puerto Ricans came from this area. One was Lola Rodríguez de Tió. She was a well-known poet and a leader who wanted Puerto Rico to be independent. She wrote the words for the revolutionary version of Puerto Rico's national anthem, "La Borinqueña".
In the late summer of 1898, during the Spanish-American War, the United States Cavalry came through Luna Street. They were led by General Theodore Schwan. People in San Germán and nearby Mayagüez welcomed the Americans with flowers. They hoped for good times under American rule. The Americans wanted to stay the night in San Germán. But they decided to keep moving to fight the Spanish army.
The San Germán Historic District is found in the western part of the town. It is mostly bordered by Luna, Estrella, Concepción, Javilla, and Ferrocarril Streets.
Important Landmarks and Places to See
Historic Buildings in the District
- Church San Germán Auxerre of San Germán (in Spanish: Iglesia San Germán de Auxerre) is a very old Roman Catholic church. The first church was built in 1688. But earthquakes destroyed it several times. The church you see today was built in 1739. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984.
- Convent Ruins of Santo Domingo de Porta Coeli (Spanish: Convento de Santo Domingo de Porta Coeli), or just Porta Coeli, is one of the oldest church buildings in all of the Americas. It was first built in 1609 by the Dominican Order. Today, the building is home to the Porta Coeli Museum of Religious Art. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.
- Jaime Acosta y Fores Residence (Spanish: Residencia Jaime Acosta y Flores), at 70 Dr. Santiago Veve Street, is a historic house from 1917. It's a great example of the local Criollo style of Puerto Rican architecture. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
- Manzanares Creek Storm Sewer (Spanish: Alcantarilla Pluvial sobre la Quebrada Manzanares), also called the San Germán underground tunnels, is a historic system of brick tunnels. They were built in 1835 to manage rainwater. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1990.
- Ponce de León Family House (Spanish: Casa de los Ponce de León) is thought to be one of the oldest homes in Puerto Rico. It was built by the Ponce de León family. A famous person who lived here was the poet and activist Lola Rodríguez de Tió. She was born Dolores Rodríguez de Astudillo y Ponce de León. This house has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983.
Other Interesting Places to Visit
- Alfredo Ramírez de Arellano y Rosell House (Spanish: Casa Alfredo Ramírez de Arellano y Rosell) is a historic house museum. It is just outside the historic district. The museum teaches about the town's history.
- The old city hall of San Germán is in the main town square. It now holds the town's tourism office.
- San Germán History Museum (Spanish: Museo de la Historia de San Germán, or MHISA) tells the story of San Germán and the area around it.
- San Germán Masonic Lodge (Spanish: Logia Masónica de San Germán) is a historic building. It has interesting Neoclassical architecture.
- San Germán Public Square (Spanish: Plaza Pública de San Germán), once called the Plaza de Armas, is the main town square. The Church San Germán Auxerre, the old city hall, and other historic buildings are here.
- Santo Domingo Square (Spanish: Plazuela Santo Domingo) is a small historic square. It is across from Porta Coeli. Old houses surround the square. It often hosts craft fairs.
- Teatro Sol (Spanish for "sun theater") is a historic theater from 1914. It is located in the main town square.
- The building of the old train station of San Germán is still standing.
Gallery
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Casa Morales Marco (c.1915)
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Convento de Porta Coeli (c.1606) overlooks Plaza Francisco Servera Silva
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Church San Germán de Auxerre overlooks Plaza Francisco Mariano Quiñones
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Los Túneles subterráneos de San Germán, vaulted brick storm sewer system built in 1835
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Historic residence in San Germán.
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Historic pharmacy in the historic district.
See also
In Spanish: Distrito Histórico de San Germán para niños
