The Caguas City Hall (Spanish: Casa de la Alcaldía de Caguas) consists of two buildings located in the downtown area of Caguas, Puerto Rico.
Alcaldia de Caguas | |
Coordinates: | 18.2367°N -66.0364°W |
Built: | 1856 |
Architect: | Spanish Royal Corps of Engineers |
Builder: | Spanish Royal Corps of Engineers |
Architecture: | Isabelino Neoclassical |
Added: | March 22, 1989 |
Area: | Less than one acre |
Refnum: | 88001307 |
The original city hall building (Spanish: Antigua Casa Alcaldía) of the municipality of Caguas dates to 1856-1860, although it did not officially become the municipal headquarters until 1887. The building is well-maintained and still preserves its original Neoclassical façade.[1] The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Alcaldia de Caguas in March 22, 1989.[2] This building hosted municipal offices until 2010 when the new city hall building was inaugurated. The building now houses several cultural institutions including a museum dedicated to the history of Caguas.[3]
The building of a new city hall was part of a project to develop and build more modern office and administrative spaces in the city. Some people, however, have criticized the continuous use of Brutalist architecture in new government buildings. The new city hall building, nicknamed "El Cacique Mayor" (Spanish for the major cacique