Central Aguirre Historic District, Former sugar mill district in Salinas, Puerto Rico
The Central Aguirre Historic District is a former sugar mill area in Salinas with over 300 buildings spread across a large site. The structures include administrative buildings, factories, warehouses, and residential areas arranged by function and social groups.
After the Spanish-American War in 1898, Ford & Company expanded the existing sugar mill into a large industrial complex. The site became Puerto Rico's second-largest sugar production facility and shaped the region for decades.
The architecture shows the social divisions of that era through separate residential areas: refined wooden cottages for American administrators stood alongside basic houses for Puerto Rican workers. This spatial separation remains visible today in the types and arrangement of buildings that still stand.
The site can be accessed via Road PR-705, though many buildings show signs of deterioration and should be observed from a safe distance. It is best to explore the grounds during daylight hours and stay on marked paths, as some structures may be unsafe.
The site is a complete early 20th-century industrial town with its own wharf, railroad system, hospital, theater, golf course, and recreation facilities. This extensive infrastructure shows how worker communities of that era were planned as nearly self-contained systems.
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