Where in the World is Evan: Puerto Rico

This month, we visit San Juan, Puerto Rico, focusing on the barrio of San Juan Antiguo/Isleta de San Juan. Old San Juan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is chock-full of history, with massive structures dating to early 16th century Spanish settlements. Multiple New Deal agencies were involved with the renovation and restoration of many historic fortresses and buildings, including much of what would later become San Juan National Historic Site. Additional buildings on the Isleta de San Juan were built during the Depression era as part of New Deal efforts, and Evan photographed several locations earlier this year: the distinctive Jose V. Toledo Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, which dates to 1914 but received a six-story addition in 1938-40; the American Red Cross (Cruz Roja Americana) Building, built by the Puerto Rico Emergency Relief Administration, an arm of Federal Emergency Relief Administration; and El Falansterio, a Deco public housing complex built by the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration, a New Deal agency unique to the territory.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.