San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico facts for kids

Quick facts for kids San Lorenzo Municipio Autónomo de San Lorenzo
Town and Municipality
Hills and valley in San Lorenzo
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  "Pueblo de Los Samaritanos", ("Town of Samaritans"), "La Tierra de Leyendas", ("Land of Legends")
Anthem: "Son tus campos de bellísimo verdor"
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting San Lorenzo Municipality
Commonwealth	Puerto Rico
Founded	1737
Founded by	Valeriano Muñoz de Oneca
Barrios	11 barrios Cayaguas Cerro Gordo Espino Florida Hato Jagual Quebrada Quebrada Arenas Quebrada Honda Quemados San Lorenzo barrio-pueblo
Area
• Total	53.3 sq mi (138.07 km2)
• Land	53.3 sq mi (138 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.07 km2)  0%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	37,693
• Density	707.2/sq mi (272.999/km2)
Demonym(s)	Sanlorenceños
Time zone	UTC−4 (AST)
ZIP Code	00754
Area code(s)	787/939
Major routes

San Lorenzo ( Saint Lawrence) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the eastern central region, north of Patillas and Yabucoa; south of Gurabo; east of Caguas and Cayey; and west of Juncos and Las Piedras. San Lorenzo is spread over twelve barrios and San Lorenzo Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

San Lorenzo is called "The town of the Samaritans" and "Land of Legends." The patron of the municipality is Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes (Our Lady of Mercedes). The surrounding areas produce tobacco and sugar cane.

History

San Lorenzo was founded in 1737 and the church was erected in 1811, the original name San Miguel de Hato Grande was changed to San Lorenzo. According to tradition it was because the latter saint appeared to several neighbors in the river valley. San Lorenzo is known as "The People of the Samaritans" because of the following story; "By 1920, in the barrio Hato of San Lorenzo according to the media available at the time and verbal testimonies of people who are still alive, crowds of people climbed a mountain where a young girl of 12 years of age lived. This young girl named Julia Vazquez Torres, according to some sources, had a supernatural power that repeatedly gave healing to people in need. These undeniable achievements were not present at the time, she used home remedies applied with medicinal plants and minerals and the purity of the water from a well, near the mountain where people came to see her. As time passed, she became an adult, but her reputation for integrity and dedication to the wellbeing of the people accompanied her every day her life".

Geography

San Lorenzo is located in the eastern central region, north of Patillas and Yabucoa; south of Gurabo; east of Caguas and Cayey; and west of Juncos and Las Piedras.

• Cayey Mountain Range

Rivers

• Río Cayaguás
• Río Emajagua
• Río Grande de Loíza
• Río de Las Vegas

Wards or barrios

• Pueblo - Population 2,490
• Cayaguas _ Population 1,345
• Cerro Gordo - Population 4,400
• Espino - Population 3,345
• Florida - Population 5,791
• Hato - Population 7,109
• Jagual - Population 4,316
• Quebrada - Population 2,231
• Quebrada Arenas - Population 2,751
• Quebrada Honda - Population 2,309
• Quemados - Population 4,771

Landmarks and places of interest

• Priscilla Flores Theater
• Santuario de la Virgen del Carmen en la Santa Montaña (Holy Mountain)
• Gallera San Carlos-(Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday; Tel.(787)734-7126
• Río Grande de Loíza
• Iglesia Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes (church); a National Historic Site; built in 1737 and renovated in 1993.

Culture

Events and Festivals:

• Three Kings Caroling-January
• Cavalcade Moncho Roldán-January
• Candelaria Celebrations-February
• Kite Festival-March
• Cross Celebrations-May
• Patron Celebrations-September
• Embroidering and Weave Festival-September
• Passion Fruit Festival-November

Sports:

• AA Class Amateur Baseball Club "Los Samaritanos"-National Champions(1975,1997,1999,2000,2001,2002) osAA.
• Agustin Reyes Half Marathon

Symbols

Flag

The flag of San Lorenzo is divided in four rectangles of equal size, two rectangles are yellow and the other two are striped with red and yellow stripes.

Coat of arms The grill is the traditional symbol of San Lorenzo, deacon and martyr, patron of the town, because in a grill he underwent the martyrdom, slowly burned to death. The hill or mountain represent the Gregorio Hill, which dominates the San Lorenzo panorama. The cross is one of the heraldic attributes of San Miguel Arcángel.

Economy

Agriculture

The economy of San Lorenzo, founded in the herd, that is, livestock farming, later included the cultivation of sugar cane, which was processed in this period in a steam-driven farm and five oxen. Coffee and fruits are also cultivated in the municipality. Timber production, which was very rich, had declined by the uncontrolled exploitation of forests.

Industry

Clothing, pharmaceuticals, footwear, electromechanical equipment, industrial and household paints.

Demographics

Transportation

There are 49 bridges in San Lorenzo.

Notable people

• Chayanne - Singer and actor
• Ernestina Reyes “La Calandria” - Singer
• José Tous Soto - Former Speaker House Of Representatives
• Antonio Fernós-Isern - Former Resident Commissioner
• José Aponte Hernandéz - Former Speaker House Of Representatives
• Carmita Jiménez - Singer
• Priscila Flores - Singer
• El Invader #1- professional wrestler
• Escolastico Capeles - oldest man in San Lorenzo 110 years old
• Dr. Marc H. Rosa, - Former Teacher, School Administrator And University Professor
• Josúe "Jay" Fonseca - Political Commentator
• Edwin Cruz - Lead Singer - “Mechi”
• Antulio Parrilla Bonilla - Father of Puerto Rican Cooperative Movement, Jesuit priest.
• Victor Rivera - Wrestler

Images for kids

• 

  Subdivisions of San Lorenzo.

• 

  South Atlantic Division (SAD) USACE in San Lorenzo

• 

  USACE working to restore power in San Lorenzo, 7 months after Hurricane Maria

• 

  USACE restoring power to San Lorenzo in April, 2018

See also

In Spanish: San Lorenzo (Puerto Rico) para niños