Casa Alcaldía de Arecibo (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

for Arecibo City Hall), formerly known as the ''Casa Consistorial'', is the historic city hall and municipal administrative headquarters of the Puerto Rican municipality of

Arecibo Arecibo (; ) is a city and municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta and Florida. It is about west of San Juan, the ...

located in the ''Plaza Mayor'' in downtown Arecibo ( Arecibo Pueblo). Constructed by the

between 1850 and 1866, more than 155 years ago, this government building exhibits the standard

Neoclassic style Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

that distinguishes the

Spanish architecture Spanish architecture refers to architecture in any area of what is now Spain, and by :Spanish architects, Spanish architects worldwide. The term includes buildings which were constructed within the current borders of Spain prior to its existenc ...

of the time. The building was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1986.

History

The building is one of the finest examples of the civil architecture of the reign of

Queen Isabel II Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868. Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successio ...

in the region. This two-story structure uses elements of design typical of the neo-classical vocabulary which dominated Spain and her possessions during the 19th century. Together with the Cathedral of Arecibo, also on the ''Plaza Mayor'', this structure set the trends in this region for the construction of civilian and other important structures. Historically, as the political center for the whole northwest region of Puerto Rico, many crucial government decisions were forged by the mayors of Arecibo from this City Hall. In 1866, it claimed the dubious honor of housing in its first-floor prison the Puerto Rican patriots that comprised the first and only rebellion against Spanish rule, the

Grito de Lares ''El Grito de Lares'' (''The Cry of Lares''), also referred to as the Lares uprising, the Lares revolt, the Lares rebellion, or the Lares revolution, was the first major revolt against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico. The revolt was planned by Ra ...

. Among the imprisoned were several important political figures of 19th century Puerto Rican history, such as

José Julián Acosta José Julián Acosta (February 16, 1825 – August 26, 1891), was a journalist and an advocate of the abolitionism, abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico. Early years José Julián Acosta Calbo was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico to Francisco de Ac ...

, Julián Blanco Sosa, Pedro Gerónimo Goyco and Calixto Romero. By the 1890s the prison had been turned into a storage area which ironically housed a marble statue of Queen Isabel II upon its removal from its pedestal on the town plaza. The 1918 Puerto Rico earthquake destroyed part of the frontal facade of the building. During the rebuilding process, modifications were made to the facade, and a tower and a clock were added to the town hall. The Arecibo City Hall today stands as a vivid and faithful example of 19th century Spanish thought in architecture and government. Occupying an imposing site on the Plaza Mayor in the town of Arecibo, the structure serves as a link between the city's past, present and future. The city hall also has a gallery dedicated to some of the distinguished figures in the culture and history of Arecibo.

Gallery

File:Casa Alcaldía de Arecibo.jpg, alt=, 1986 File:Casa Alcaldía - Arecibo Puerto Rico.jpg, alt=, 2006 File:Arecibo town hall.jpg, alt=, 2007

References

Arecibo, Puerto Rico Buildings and structures in Arecibo, Puerto Rico Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Puerto Rico National Register of Historic Places in Arecibo, Puerto Rico Spanish Colonial architecture in Puerto Rico {{PuertoRico-NRHP-stub

History

Gallery

See also

References