| Casa Serrallés | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Town or city | Salud Street, between Isabel and Cristina Streets, Ponce |
| Country | Puerto Rico |
| Coordinates | |
| Completed | 1911 |
| Cost | $364,807 |
| Design and construction | |
| Client | Juan Eugenio Serralles |
| Architect | Alfredo Wiechers Pieretti |
Casa Serrallés (Spanish for Serrallés Residence) is a historic building in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The building was purchased by the government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce in 2008 for its architectural, historic, and cultural value. It was built in 1911 by Alfredo Wiechers Pieretti for Don Juan Eugenio Serrallés Perez, son of businessman Juan Serrallés Colon, founder of Destilería Serrallés, and himself the CEO of the company that founded Ron Don Q. It was the Seralles family everyday downtown Ponce residence, as compared to their hilltop Castle residence.
Contents |
The house was purchased by the city of Ponce from the Rosa Maria Serrallés heirs, consisting of Alberto J. Torruella Serrallés, Guillermo J. Torruella Serrallés, and Rosa M. Torruella Serrallés. It was purchased for $364,807, under the administration of mayor Francisco Zayas Seijo.[1] The house was built in 1911 by Alfredo Weichers.[2]
The house is located on the west side of Salud Street between Cristina and Isabel Streets, next to the Juan Morel Campos Music Institute, in the Ponce Historic Zone. The location of the house, together with its historic significance, courtyard, and architectural details, make it unique among other Puerto Rico homes.[3] The structure is located on the same block as the historic Teatro La Perla and the Ponce History Museum. With the acquisition of this property by the city, the municipal government has termed the block within the Mayor, Cristina, Salud, and Isabel streets, the Plaza de la Cultura de Ponce (Plaza of Ponce Culture).[4]
Casa Serrallés was built as the exclusive residence of Don Eugenio Serrallés, a leader in the sugar cane industry during the early part of the 20th century. The building is significant from the architectural, historical, and cultural perspectives.
Architecturally, the building represents an example of Spanish Moroccan architecture, a style first introduced in Puerto Rico by the architect Pedro Adolfo de Castro.
Historically, the building is a reminder of the cultural and economic changes that southern Puerto Rico experienced in the 1920s. "Ponce's dependence on the sugar cane industry at the close of the nineteenth century, created an atmosphere of development from which evolved a series of intrinsic cultural characteristics and afforded great wealth to many families involved in the industry. The wealthy families generally chose Europe as the model for the direction that cultural endeavors would take."[5]
Culturally, the building is important because it was the downtown residence of one of the wealthiest families in 19th-century Puerto Rico, and one that so much influenced its economy. The original hill-top residence of the family was Castillo Serralles, today a historic structure listed in the NRHP. The Casa Serralles structure was acquired by the city of Ponce "to increase its cultural holdings."[6]
The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture is expected to aid in the restoration of the residence.[7]
The house is a single floor building. Access to the main entrance of the house is from the front street. The building has a short front facade but its east-to-west axis is articulated as a very long structure. It was built in 1926 by local architect Alfredo Wiechers Pieretti.[8] It includes a large back courtyard.
The building was constructed entirely of concrete. The residence was designed in a style popular in the 1910s for representing Spanish Mediterranean influence. Prominent throughout the building is the use of red roof tiles. This accent is also present on all other rooftops. The exterior of the buildings is finished in stucco.