Fort San Jerónimo
Encyclopedia
Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
of the Large Entrance) is a small fort located in the entrance to what is known today as the Condado Lagoon
El Condado, Puerto Rico
-The 21st Century:Condado looks quite different from what it did at the turn of the century. Some of the luxurious homes which still remain nestled between the high-rise condominiums have been converted into small inns, shops, museums or restaurants. Dr...
which faces the historic town of Miramar 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...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
It was built during the 17th century to replace a smaller battery (called El Boquerón) that stood at the easternmost end of the San Juan islet. The original Boquerón battery defended San Juan from attacks
Battle of San Juan (1595)
The Battle of San Juan was a Spanish victory during the Anglo–Spanish War. This war broke out in 1585 and was fought not only in the European theatre but in Spain's American colonies.-Course:...
by Sir Francis Drake
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
in 1595 and George Clifford, the third Earl of Cumberland
George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland
Sir George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, KG was an English peer, as well as a naval commander and courtier in the court of Queen Elizabeth I.-Background:...
, in 1598 who destroyed it after his attack. The San Gerónimo became part of San Juan's First Line of Defense, along with the San Antonio Fort/Bridge and Escambrón Fort, being the Fourth and final Line of Defense the majestic San Cristóbal Castle, guardian to the city entrance.
The fort is still in remarkably good shape, is open for visitors and has access to the Caribe Hilton Hotel
Caribe Hilton Hotel
The Caribe Hilton Hotel, located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is one of the best-known hotels in the Caribbean. It was the first facility ever operated by Hilton Hotels outside of the continental United States....
and Plaza Caribe complex.
Overview
The San Gerónimo and San Antonio were pivotal in repelling the invasionBattle of San Juan (1797)
The Battle of San Juan was a 1797 British attack on the Spanish colonial port city of San Juan in Puerto Rico. The attack was carried out facing the historic town of Miramar....
by the forces of British Admiral Henry Harvey and Sir Ralph Abercromby
Ralph Abercromby
Sir Ralph Abercromby was a Scottish soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars, and served as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland.He twice served as MP for Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire, and was...
in 1797. On April 17, 1797 their combined forces (64 to 68 ships and 7,000 to 13,000 men) landed in Cangrejos, approx. 3 miles from San Juan. San Juan's military forces which included, among others, the Regimiento Fijo de Puerto Rico and the Milicias Disciplinadas were outnumbered by the invaders almost 3 to 1. Admiral Harvey blockaded the San Juan Harbor while Abercromby established his operations headquarters in San Mateo parish overseeing all of San Juan and the Martín Peña Bridge. Abercromby's strategy was to take the Martín Peña bridge in order to block Spanish reinforcements from the South and bombard San Gerónimo and San Antonio from Miramar to gain access and cross the San Antonio Bridge into the San Juan islet. British forces included the Royal Marines made famous by later on defeating Napoleon's troops in Egypt. Governor Ramón de Castro, a brilliant strategist prevented the British from advancing and eventually conquering San Juan.
The San Gerónimo and San Antonio, sustained heavy damage from the constant bombardment during the two week siege on the city. Chronicles have the defenders shooting their muskets and cannons from behind sandbags because of the devastation their forts sustained. The San Gerónimo and San Antonio were eventually rebuilt and expanded; there is some information that says they were rebuilt to look as they did prior to the attack.
Caribe Hilton Hotel
The Caribe Hilton Hotel, located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is one of the best-known hotels in the Caribbean. It was the first facility ever operated by Hilton Hotels outside of the continental United States....
. It was listed on the 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...
on October 11, 1983. Unlike similar forts near Old San Juan
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
Old San Juan is the oldest settlement within Puerto Rico and it is the historic colonial section of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Location:...
, it is not part of San Juan National Historic Site
San Juan National Historic Site
San Juan National Historic Site in San Juan, Puerto Rico, includes colonial-era forts, bastions, powder houses, and three fourths of the old city wall.-Features:The site includes four features:* Fort San Felipe del Morro* Fort San Cristóbal* El Cañuelo...
. San Gerónimo is owned by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, but is managed by the Hilton. The hotel occasionally used it for private gatherings, but during recent times it has fallen into such disrepair that visits are no longer allowed. The "Polvorín de San Gerónimo" or gunpowder house that was built in 1769 and supplied the fort with gunpowder is now part of the Luis Muñoz Rivera Park.
As recent as the year 2006 attempts are being made by the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build a breakwater to stop any further deterioration from irreparably damaging the centuries old fort. Senate Vice President Orlando Parga
Orlando Parga
- Early life:Orlando Parga-Figueroa is a former Senator of Puerto Rico born in Mayaguez and currently resides in Caguas with his wife, Teresita. His father, Orlando Parga Tossas, was a leader of the StatehoodRepublican Party and a right-hand man to SRP leader Miguel A. García Méndez...
has led efforts to modify some of the construction projects that would encroach on the fort or would hamper the Corps of Engineers preservation and reconstruction efforts.
In July 2007, the Fort was the scene of protests against the construction of a tourist project called Paseo Caribe that would block access to the fortification. Protesters argued that the public should have free access to it. The protests lasted about a week during which the manifestants halted the construction projects by climbing into the cranes.
The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 directs the U.S. Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
to conduct a study to determine the suitability of including San Gerónimo as part of San Juan National Historic Site.