Armstrong-Poventud Residence
Encyclopedia
Residencia Armstrong-Poventud is a historic building located in the Ponce Historic Zone
in Ponce, Puerto Rico
. The construction of this home set the stage for the construction of other homes of similar architectural elements, character and opulence in turn-of-the-twentieth-century Ponce. The home was designed and built by prominent architect Manuel Víctor Domenech
for the Armstrong-Poventud family. It is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
as the Armstrong-Toro House, and is also known as the Casa de las Cariatides.
(ICP
) and the Puerto Rico Office of Historical Preservation have determined that the house was built in 1899. The American Architect and Building News magazine, on the front cover of its January 25, 1899, issue published the design of the Residencia Armstrong-Poventud. The Residencia was inaugurated fully as a museum
by the ICP in October 2008. Prior to 2008, and starting in 1991, visitors were allowed to tour the house while it concurrently served as the Southern headquarters of the Institute.
and the Residencia Batiz
. Domenech, a public figure in Puerto Rico during the 20th century, built many noteworthy private residences and public buildings in San Juan
, Ponce, and Mayaguez
.
Mr. Armstrong-Toro was one of Ponce's most distinguished citizens as well. He was one of the first bankers in Puerto Rico, founder of the Banco de Ponce
and the Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño
. Mr. Armstrong-Toro developed an international banking network with offices in Puerto Rico, Cuba
, the United States, and Denmark
. As a result of his extensive financial relations with the Danish government, Mr. Armstrong was conferred the high honor of the "Danabru Order" of Denmark and was named Danish Consul to Puerto Rico.
Architecturally speaking, the Armstrong-Toro Residence is significant in the history of Ponce because it is one of Domenech's most distinguished eclectic designs and probably the best known. Its unique caryatid-framed main entrance, its intricate ornamental details and its location upon the most prominent lot in the city of Ponce (across from the Cathedral and public plaza
) have made this house a true architectural landmark in the city's traditional urban core. As a result, many houses were built during the early 20th century with similar elements in a similar vocabulary, contributing to the unique historic district of Ponce
.
and Plaza
of the historic urban center
of Ponce. The almost-cubic proportions of the facade are articulated in three bays: 2 wider bays flanking a central, narrower entrance bay.
At the ground level, a pink-stone plinth
serves as a podium
for the one story eclectic pilasters at the north and south extremes of the facade and for the two caryatid
s, which flank the main entrance and define the three bays of the facade. The central entrance arch cuts the podium and houses intricately-carved hardwood doors and a stained-glass fanlight protected by decorative wrought iron
railings. Bays 1 and 3 both consist of paired arches, located above the podium and articulated in an ionic pilaster order. Each arch-window houses folding jalousie
shutters.
At the upper level there are four Ionic
pilasters with pedestals resting on a continuous horizontal string-course. The three openings are symmetrically arranged and equally proportioned and articulated: a simple surround with a keystone frames a wide arch, opening out to a balcony through wooden jalousie doors. Decoratively etched clear glass lights occupy the tympanym over each opening. The first and third bay balconies contain waist-high decorative cast-iron railings and the wider central balcony consists of stone balusters and rails supported by the caryatid figures of the ground floor. A full-entablature cornice
and solid parapet
cap the facade composition. Roman-style amphorae on the parapet, above each pilaster, serve as finials for each bay division.
At the northern end of the structure, a concrete port-cochere
enclosed by decorative wrought-iron railings projects from the upper level floor line, creating a side terrace for the upper floor.
The house is very simple in plan and elegant in execution. The main entrance accesses a foyer
with steps leading up to the major circulation hall through wooden and stained-glass double-doors. A sweeping stairway, toward the back of the house on the left side of the hall accesses the second floor, which is similar in plan to the first. All floors within the house are parquet and ceilings are of hand-painted decorative pressed metal. The floors were installed during the last restoration and the pressed-metal ceilings are all original.
As a result of the disastrous earthquake of 1918
, the structure's northern wall had fallen and was subsequently reconstructed according to the original plans. The concrete-vaulted port-cochere was added at that time. Aside from this latter addition, the Armstrong-Toro house maintains the exact architecture of the original design.
(ICP) acquired the building from the descendents of the original owners. Some of the original furniture and personal items of the home were included in the acquisition, as the Armstrong family lived the house uninterrupted for eight decades. The ICP restored the building on two occasions: in the 1980s and then again from 2006 to 2008.
, in the town square. The house is easy to spot thanks to the two caryatid
s in the front of the house and its overall neoclassic
architectural style. With its gorgeous, neoclassical facade
, the Casa Armstrong-Poventud is among the most stately and elegant houses in Ponce. Built in 1900 as the home for this Scottish
banker, the house served as the regional office of the ICP
for 15 years. Casa Armstrong-Poventud building is a magnificent example of the neoclassical architectural heritage of the island. The Residence was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on October 29, 1987.
an history noted for peace, political stability, and industrial progress. Started around the middle of the 19th century and ran up to World War I
. This period of great prosperity coincided with England's Queen Victoria's kingdom (1837–1901) during which industrial and artistic greatness were promoted with such a success that it also came to be known as the Victorian Era
.
as well as in the Americas. Important exhibitions marked this progress. There was one in England in 1851, and various others followed in various other major cities. There was for example another one in Paris in 1855 that brought about an even larger number of attendees, unprecedented in the history of mankind: 5,100,000 people coming from virtually every existing country. In 1878, Paris celebrated another Fair yet where the telephone and the light bulb were shown for the first time. The city was first lit during this 1878 Paris Fair.
, the Unión Mercantil building, the Ponce Casino
and some of the most majestic homes in the Majestic City, such as the Armstrong Residence.
plantation
s. This made possible the construction of various public works such as the Teatro La Perla, the Ponce aqueduct, and several majestic homes, like Armstrong Puventud Home. The home of Señor Carlos W. Armstrong Toro and lady Eulalia Pou, now known as the Armstrong-Poventud Residence, represents this wealth despite the restrictive colonial Spanish government of the Island at the time.
. Mr. Carlos Armstrong Toro has an import/export business that exposed him to the great cities of the world and put him in touch of the architectural styles of the day. He was, for example, a partner in a New York City
business. In addition, he was also the Danish consul in Ponce. It was with this background that he ordered th construction of his home in Ponce. Señor Armstrong Toro married lady Eulalia Pou Carreras, on January 11, 1868. Doña Eulalia Pou was herself from a wealthy Ponce family.
at the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations in England years earlier. The floral and natural motifs in the residence, are also characteristic of those comprising the new artistic expression of the Victorian Era evident in Europe
and the United States
in the first decades of the 20th century.
, where doors are considerably simpler. The residence displays a harmonious appreciation for the style, as much by the architects as by the owners, of the Belle Époque.
s) statues used by architect Manuel V. Domenech
for the front of the house were not the classical ones, but modernized adaptations of the classical ones. They do not display the solemn expression of the traditional ones, but smiling young people with a modern hairdo and displaying body motion. Even the pedestal on which the status lay has an Art-Nouveau style.
jar, Victorian
lamps, Art-Nouveau, and Austrian
glass chandeliers.
. There is heavy use of electric light bulb lamps at a time when over 90% of the population of Puerto Rico used no electricity or plumbing.
, New York
, Chicago
, and London
at the time. The resulting style is one of modernistic Victorian architecture.
and at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
. Rensselaer was instrumental in the education of the Domenech because above all, it was the first polytechnic university in the United States, and because it promoted the use of the most advanced resources in engineering and architecture. It is also located in Troy, New York
, an area that had a great amount of growth and architectural transformation including bridges, buildings, private homes, just as Mr. Domenech studied his career there. The city of Troy still preserves in its homes some of the best examples of Victorian and modern architecture of the 19th century in the United States. Lehigh University, on the other hand, is located in Pennsylvania
, a place that experienced a most accelerated development in modernistic architecture at a time when the future architect studied.
Ponce Historic Zone
The Ponce Historic Zone is a historic district in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico with construction that dates to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The zone was originally designated in 1962, and then it only included the center core of the city, but it has since been expanded to...
in Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
. The construction of this home set the stage for the construction of other homes of similar architectural elements, character and opulence in turn-of-the-twentieth-century Ponce. The home was designed and built by prominent architect Manuel Víctor Domenech
Manuel V. Domenech
Manuel V. Domenech was a Puerto Rican politician and engineer.-Early years:Domenech was born in Isabela, Puerto Rico...
for the Armstrong-Poventud family. It is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as the Armstrong-Toro House, and is also known as the Casa de las Cariatides.
Construction date
The Institute of Puerto Rican CultureInstitute of Puerto Rican Culture
The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture , or ICP, for short, is an institution of the Government of Puerto Rico responsible for the establishment of the cultural policies required in order to study, preserve, promote, enrich, and diffuse the cultural values of Puerto Rico...
(ICP
Institute of Puerto Rican Culture
The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture , or ICP, for short, is an institution of the Government of Puerto Rico responsible for the establishment of the cultural policies required in order to study, preserve, promote, enrich, and diffuse the cultural values of Puerto Rico...
) and the Puerto Rico Office of Historical Preservation have determined that the house was built in 1899. The American Architect and Building News magazine, on the front cover of its January 25, 1899, issue published the design of the Residencia Armstrong-Poventud. The Residencia was inaugurated fully as a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
by the ICP in October 2008. Prior to 2008, and starting in 1991, visitors were allowed to tour the house while it concurrently served as the Southern headquarters of the Institute.
Significance
The Carlos Armstrong-Toro Residence is one of Ponce's most famous houses. This structure was designed and built by Manuel Domenech, one of the island's most distinguished architects of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of Domenech's designs include: the Asilo de Pobres de MayaguezAsilo De Pobres
Asilo de Ancianos de Mayagüez, also known as Asilo De Pobres or Asilo Municipal, was originally built, in the Classical Revival style, as a shelter for the poor. For some time, Salvador Agrón, the inspiration for the Broadway musical The Capeman, lived in the building with his mother. In 1962 it...
and the Residencia Batiz
Rosaly-Batiz House
The Rosaly-Batiz House is a historic building located on Villa street in Barrio Primero in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in the city's historic district. The building dates from 1897. It was designed by Manuel V. Domenech, a Puerto Rican architect that was responsible for designing various other...
. Domenech, a public figure in Puerto Rico during the 20th century, built many noteworthy private residences and public buildings in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, Ponce, and Mayaguez
Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Mayagüez is the eighth-largest municipality of Puerto Rico. Originally founded as "Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria" it is also known as "La Sultana del Oeste" , "Ciudad de las Aguas Puras" , or "Ciudad del Mangó"...
.
Mr. Armstrong-Toro was one of Ponce's most distinguished citizens as well. He was one of the first bankers in Puerto Rico, founder of the Banco de Ponce
Banco de Ponce
Banco de Ponce was one the largest banks in Puerto Rico. In 1990 it merged with Banco Popular creating Puerto Rico's largest bank. At this time, Banco Popular's holding company changed its name to BanPonce Corporation. Banco de Ponce had established an agency in New York that it had converted to a...
and the Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño
Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño (building)
The Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño building , a historic building in Ponce, Puerto Rico, was the first and main office of the famed Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño , and represents one of the last examples of the once popular turn-of-the-century eclectic architecture. The building was listed on the...
. Mr. Armstrong-Toro developed an international banking network with offices in Puerto Rico, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the United States, and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. As a result of his extensive financial relations with the Danish government, Mr. Armstrong was conferred the high honor of the "Danabru Order" of Denmark and was named Danish Consul to Puerto Rico.
Architecturally speaking, the Armstrong-Toro Residence is significant in the history of Ponce because it is one of Domenech's most distinguished eclectic designs and probably the best known. Its unique caryatid-framed main entrance, its intricate ornamental details and its location upon the most prominent lot in the city of Ponce (across from the Cathedral and public plaza
Plaza Las Delicias
Plaza Las Delicias is the main plaza in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The square is notable for its fountains and for the various monuments it contains. The historic Parque de Bombas and Ponce Cathedral buildings are located within Plaza Las Delicias. Plaza Las Delicias is actually composed of...
) have made this house a true architectural landmark in the city's traditional urban core. As a result, many houses were built during the early 20th century with similar elements in a similar vocabulary, contributing to the unique historic district of Ponce
Ponce Historic Zone
The Ponce Historic Zone is a historic district in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico with construction that dates to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The zone was originally designated in 1962, and then it only included the center core of the city, but it has since been expanded to...
.
Physical Appearance
Residencia Armstrong-Poventud is a two-story masonry building on the westside of Calle Union (No. 9), directly in front of the CathedralPonce Cathedral
The Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe or simply, Ponce Cathedral, is the cathedral for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ponce located in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico. The cathedral lies in the middle of Ponce's town square, known as Plaza Las Delicias, located at the center of the Ponce Historic...
and Plaza
Plaza Las Delicias
Plaza Las Delicias is the main plaza in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The square is notable for its fountains and for the various monuments it contains. The historic Parque de Bombas and Ponce Cathedral buildings are located within Plaza Las Delicias. Plaza Las Delicias is actually composed of...
of the historic urban center
Ponce Historic Zone
The Ponce Historic Zone is a historic district in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico with construction that dates to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The zone was originally designated in 1962, and then it only included the center core of the city, but it has since been expanded to...
of Ponce. The almost-cubic proportions of the facade are articulated in three bays: 2 wider bays flanking a central, narrower entrance bay.
At the ground level, a pink-stone plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
serves as a podium
Podium
A podium is a platform that is used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings. It derives from the Greek πόδι In architecture a building can rest on a large podium. Podia can also be used to raise people, for instance the conductor of an orchestra stands on a podium as do many...
for the one story eclectic pilasters at the north and south extremes of the facade and for the two caryatid
Caryatid
A caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town of Peloponnese...
s, which flank the main entrance and define the three bays of the facade. The central entrance arch cuts the podium and houses intricately-carved hardwood doors and a stained-glass fanlight protected by decorative wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
railings. Bays 1 and 3 both consist of paired arches, located above the podium and articulated in an ionic pilaster order. Each arch-window houses folding jalousie
Jalousie
A jalousie window or louvre window is a window which consists of parallel glass, acrylic, or wooden louvers set in a frame. The louvers are locked together onto a track, so that they may be tilted open and shut in unison, to control airflow through the window...
shutters.
At the upper level there are four Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
pilasters with pedestals resting on a continuous horizontal string-course. The three openings are symmetrically arranged and equally proportioned and articulated: a simple surround with a keystone frames a wide arch, opening out to a balcony through wooden jalousie doors. Decoratively etched clear glass lights occupy the tympanym over each opening. The first and third bay balconies contain waist-high decorative cast-iron railings and the wider central balcony consists of stone balusters and rails supported by the caryatid figures of the ground floor. A full-entablature cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
and solid parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
cap the facade composition. Roman-style amphorae on the parapet, above each pilaster, serve as finials for each bay division.
At the northern end of the structure, a concrete port-cochere
Garage (house)
A residential garage is part of a home, or an associated building, designed or used for storing a vehicle or vehicles. In some places the term is used synonymously with "carport", though that term normally describes a structure that is not completely enclosed.- British residential garages:Those...
enclosed by decorative wrought-iron railings projects from the upper level floor line, creating a side terrace for the upper floor.
The house is very simple in plan and elegant in execution. The main entrance accesses a foyer
Foyer
A foyer or lobby is a large, vast room or complex of rooms adjacent to the auditorium...
with steps leading up to the major circulation hall through wooden and stained-glass double-doors. A sweeping stairway, toward the back of the house on the left side of the hall accesses the second floor, which is similar in plan to the first. All floors within the house are parquet and ceilings are of hand-painted decorative pressed metal. The floors were installed during the last restoration and the pressed-metal ceilings are all original.
As a result of the disastrous earthquake of 1918
1918 Puerto Rico earthquake
The San Fermín earthquake, also known as the Puerto Rico earthquake of 1918, was a major earthquake that struck the island of Puerto Rico at 10:14am on October 11, 1918. The magnitude for the earthquake has been reported at around 7.5 ; however, that might not be an exact number...
, the structure's northern wall had fallen and was subsequently reconstructed according to the original plans. The concrete-vaulted port-cochere was added at that time. Aside from this latter addition, the Armstrong-Toro house maintains the exact architecture of the original design.
Acquisition and restoration
The Institute of Puerto Rican CultureInstitute of Puerto Rican Culture
The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture , or ICP, for short, is an institution of the Government of Puerto Rico responsible for the establishment of the cultural policies required in order to study, preserve, promote, enrich, and diffuse the cultural values of Puerto Rico...
(ICP) acquired the building from the descendents of the original owners. Some of the original furniture and personal items of the home were included in the acquisition, as the Armstrong family lived the house uninterrupted for eight decades. The ICP restored the building on two occasions: in the 1980s and then again from 2006 to 2008.
Description
Almost all the furniture and utensils from that era are still in place, as well as paintings and pictures belonging the original owners of this grand old home located directly in front of Our Lady of Guadalupe CathedralPonce Cathedral
The Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe or simply, Ponce Cathedral, is the cathedral for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ponce located in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico. The cathedral lies in the middle of Ponce's town square, known as Plaza Las Delicias, located at the center of the Ponce Historic...
, in the town square. The house is easy to spot thanks to the two caryatid
Caryatid
A caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town of Peloponnese...
s in the front of the house and its overall neoclassic
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
architectural style. With its gorgeous, neoclassical facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
, the Casa Armstrong-Poventud is among the most stately and elegant houses in Ponce. Built in 1900 as the home for this Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
banker, the house served as the regional office of the ICP
Institute of Puerto Rican Culture
The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture , or ICP, for short, is an institution of the Government of Puerto Rico responsible for the establishment of the cultural policies required in order to study, preserve, promote, enrich, and diffuse the cultural values of Puerto Rico...
for 15 years. Casa Armstrong-Poventud building is a magnificent example of the neoclassical architectural heritage of the island. The Residence was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on October 29, 1987.
Historical background
The Casa Armstrong-Poventud Museum is an example of the main Belle-Époque (English: "The Beautiful Epoch"), a French term that is used to describe a long period in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an history noted for peace, political stability, and industrial progress. Started around the middle of the 19th century and ran up to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. This period of great prosperity coincided with England's Queen Victoria's kingdom (1837–1901) during which industrial and artistic greatness were promoted with such a success that it also came to be known as the Victorian Era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
.
European fairs
Unlike previous eras, the level of artistic and industrial prosperity reached during the Belle Époque was such that it reached the masses, in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as well as in the Americas. Important exhibitions marked this progress. There was one in England in 1851, and various others followed in various other major cities. There was for example another one in Paris in 1855 that brought about an even larger number of attendees, unprecedented in the history of mankind: 5,100,000 people coming from virtually every existing country. In 1878, Paris celebrated another Fair yet where the telephone and the light bulb were shown for the first time. The city was first lit during this 1878 Paris Fair.
Ponce 1882 fair
Ponce had its own fair in 1882. It was dedicated to agriculture, commerce, industry and the arts. Just like Paris four years earlier, Ponce was also illuminated on the first day of the Ponce Fair: Plaza Las DeliciasPlaza Las Delicias
Plaza Las Delicias is the main plaza in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The square is notable for its fountains and for the various monuments it contains. The historic Parque de Bombas and Ponce Cathedral buildings are located within Plaza Las Delicias. Plaza Las Delicias is actually composed of...
, the Unión Mercantil building, the Ponce Casino
Old Ponce Casino
The Antiguo Casino de Ponce , or simply the Casino de Ponce, is a historic structure, built in 1922 and located in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Originally built as a social club for Ponce's elite, it is currently used as the premier reception center of "The Noble City of Puerto Rico"...
and some of the most majestic homes in the Majestic City, such as the Armstrong Residence.
Ponce's majestic residences
The economic affluence in Ponce during the second half of the 19th century was due to great wealth from sugarSugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s. This made possible the construction of various public works such as the Teatro La Perla, the Ponce aqueduct, and several majestic homes, like Armstrong Puventud Home. The home of Señor Carlos W. Armstrong Toro and lady Eulalia Pou, now known as the Armstrong-Poventud Residence, represents this wealth despite the restrictive colonial Spanish government of the Island at the time.
Personal life of Señor Armstrong
Señor Carlos Walter Armstrong Toro established his wealth on the agricultural prosperity the Island experienced: first as businessman, later as a banker, and finally as a politicianPolitician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. Mr. Carlos Armstrong Toro has an import/export business that exposed him to the great cities of the world and put him in touch of the architectural styles of the day. He was, for example, a partner in a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
business. In addition, he was also the Danish consul in Ponce. It was with this background that he ordered th construction of his home in Ponce. Señor Armstrong Toro married lady Eulalia Pou Carreras, on January 11, 1868. Doña Eulalia Pou was herself from a wealthy Ponce family.
Architecture of the residence
The Museum at Casa Armstrong Poventud presents the latest architectural and artistic taste in vogue at the end of the 19th century in Europe. For example, heavy use of glass on doors and windows. The glass decor used in the front door of the residence, for instance, is almost identical to those used in the Crystal PalaceThe Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
at the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations in England years earlier. The floral and natural motifs in the residence, are also characteristic of those comprising the new artistic expression of the Victorian Era evident in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the first decades of the 20th century.
Front door entrance
The front door is an excellent example of doors characteritic of the Victorian era. It achieved two purposes: decorative but also to allow the passage of natural daylight. Almost all the doors in this Museum have unique majestic-style characteristics not found in doors in the capital city of San JuanSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, where doors are considerably simpler. The residence displays a harmonious appreciation for the style, as much by the architects as by the owners, of the Belle Époque.
Cariatides
The "cariátides" (caryatidCaryatid
A caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town of Peloponnese...
s) statues used by architect Manuel V. Domenech
Manuel V. Domenech
Manuel V. Domenech was a Puerto Rican politician and engineer.-Early years:Domenech was born in Isabela, Puerto Rico...
for the front of the house were not the classical ones, but modernized adaptations of the classical ones. They do not display the solemn expression of the traditional ones, but smiling young people with a modern hairdo and displaying body motion. Even the pedestal on which the status lay has an Art-Nouveau style.
Interior details
The interior furniture and other items are also Victorian. The Residence emphasizes a multiplicity of styles in its interior, not just different epochs, but also different countries: ChineseChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
jar, Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
lamps, Art-Nouveau, and Austrian
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
glass chandeliers.
Electrical and plumbing design
Mr. Manuel Victor Domenech used a variety of architectural elements from various epochs in a unique creative manner. He used, for example the most advanced objects of residential utility of the time such as electricity, bathroom and kitchens that functioned with an automatic plumbing system, to create a structure characteristics of the end of the Victorian era, known as ModernismModernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
. There is heavy use of electric light bulb lamps at a time when over 90% of the population of Puerto Rico used no electricity or plumbing.
Overall
The overall impression of the residence is one displaying a new appearance of modernism. It has both Victorian and modernistic elements in it, approaching details seen in BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the time. The resulting style is one of modernistic Victorian architecture.
Education
The house was designed by architect Manuel Víctor Domenech. He was educated at Lehigh UniversityLehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
and at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
. Rensselaer was instrumental in the education of the Domenech because above all, it was the first polytechnic university in the United States, and because it promoted the use of the most advanced resources in engineering and architecture. It is also located in Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
, an area that had a great amount of growth and architectural transformation including bridges, buildings, private homes, just as Mr. Domenech studied his career there. The city of Troy still preserves in its homes some of the best examples of Victorian and modern architecture of the 19th century in the United States. Lehigh University, on the other hand, is located in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, a place that experienced a most accelerated development in modernistic architecture at a time when the future architect studied.