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Ponce Historic Zone

*Zona Histórica de Ponce*
Ponce Historic Zone Zona Histórica de Ponce
Historic Zone
	Parque de Bombas, the iconic symbol of the Historic Zone
	Nickname: La Perla del Sur
	Motto: Ponce es Ponce
	Map of the Historic Zone within the municipality of Ponce
	Coordinates: 18°00′41.6874″N 66°36′50.22″W / 18.011579833°N 66.6139500°W

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The Ponce Historic Zone (Spanish: Zona Histórica de Ponce) is a historic district in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico, consisting of buildings, plazas and structures with distinctive architectures such as Neoclásico Isabelino and the Ponce Creole, a local architectural style developed between the 19th- and early 20th-centuries.^[1] The zone goes by various names, including Traditional Ponce (Ponce Tradicional),^[2] Central Ponce (Ponce Centro),^[3] Historic Ponce (Ponce Histórico),^[4] and Ponce Historic District (Distrito Histórico de Ponce).^[5] Although not yet listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Ponce Historic Zone was added to the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones (Registro Nacional de Sitios y Zonas Históricas) on February 2, 1989.^[6]

Location

The historic zone is located in what is commonly called Ponce Pueblo – the central downtown and oldest area of the city. While there are several roads that lead to it, the most common point of entry is via PR-1, which becomes the Miguel Pou Boulevard, and then into the one-way Isabel Street, leading to the center of Ponce at the Plaza Las Delicias.^[7]

In addition to Plaza Las Delicias, with its unique Parque de Bombas and Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe Cathedral, the zone includes landmarks such as Ponce City Hall, Armstrong-Poventud Residence, Ponce High School, and Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro. Numerous other attractions in this historic area are listed in the NRHP, such as Banco de Ponce, Casa Paoli, and Casa de la Masacre. Others, such as Teatro Fox Delicias, Teatro La Perla, Plaza de Mercado, Hotel Meliá, and Paseo Atocha are not listed but possess significant historical value.^[8] Street corners in most of this zone have chamfered corners (esquinas de chaflán), typical of Barcelona, Spain.

A map of the area covered by the Ponce Historic Zone is available (in 2011) from the government of the municipality of Ponce.^[9]

History

The 1912 Casa Wiechers-Villaronga, housing the Museo de la Arquitectura Ponceña

Carmelo Rosario Natal has linked the origins of the Ponce Historic Zone to an event that took place on 8 June 1893. On that date, La Gaceta de Puerto Rico, the insular government's official periodical, published an edict of the Governor of Puerto Rico, Antonio Daban y Ramirez de Arellano, that mandated municipal authorities throughout the Island to divide, for fire control purposes, a town's urban center into three zones: stone-built, build with fire resistant materials, and built with combustible materials. No structure could be built, rebuilt or restored within a minimum of 50 meters from the town's central square unless it was stoned-built or it was to be upgraded to a stone-built structure.^[10] According to Rosario Natal, those were the roots of what almost 70 years later would be called the Ponce Historic Zone.

On 20 June 1960, governor Luis Muñoz Marín amended the law regarding historic zones, making it possible for Ponce to be included in such category.^[11] On 6 June 1962, the Zone was officially designated as such, and initially included only the center core of the city, but it was later expanded to include a much larger area.^[12] On that date (6 June 1962) the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, with the concurrence of the Puerto Rico Planning Board, approved a resolution creating the Zone. The Zone included a list of 22, mostly contiguous areas, including specific buildings, structures, plaza, streets and sectors that were to be preserved. It also included an area in barrio Playa, including the ruins of the old Fuerte de San José.^[13]

It was not long before the creation of the Zone was opposed by local developers and the real estate service industry. Ismaro Torruella, president of the Municipal Assembly, who was originally one of the supporters of the creation of the Zone, succumbed to mounting pressure from local developers, business people and realtors and, by 1962, now favored the elimination, or at least the limitation, of the Zone. "The evidence on this matter is clear. Torruella and his colleagues wanted to make sure the public hearing [of 10 March 1965] was controlled by them."^[14] Opposing groups sought to make their voices known to the townspeople at large, not just to the Municipal Government and the ICP, and formed "Comite de Ciudadanos para el Progreso de Ponce" (Citizens Committee Ponce's Progress). This committee included prominent businessmen such as Juan Eugenio Candal, Jose Maria Rovira, Gustavo Armstrong, Jose Moscoso, Tito Castro, among several others. To counter this group, supporters of the Historic Zone created their own "Comite Ponceño Pro Buen Progreso" (Ponce Citizens' Committee for Fair Progress)." The debates went on for years with many public hearings taking place. Professional urban planning, traffic, and architectural studies, among others, also took place and recommendations were provided. One study categorized the architectural styles in the Historic Zone into seven groups: Neoclassical European, Spanish Colonial, Ponce Creole, Criollo Pueblerino, Criollo Residencial Pueblerino, Neoclassical Creole, and Neoclassical Superior.^[15]

On 17 November 2005, then-Governor of Puerto Rico, Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, signed Executive Order Number 72, approving the historic Ponce center as a Historic Center of First Order.^[16]

Plan Ponce en Marcha

In the 1990s an intensive $440 million^[17]^[18] revitalization project called "Plan Ponce en Marcha"^[19] ("Ponce on the Move Plan") has increased the city's historic area from 260 to 1,046 buildings.^[20] The Ponce en Marcha project was conceived in 1985 by then governor Rafael Hernández Colón during his second term in La Fortaleza. A significant number of buildings in Ponce are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.^[21] The nonprofit Project for Public Places^[22] listed the historic downtown Ponce city center as one of the 60 of the World's Great Places, for its "graciously preserved showcase of Caribbean culture".^[23] The Ponce en Marcha project has given even more form to the definition, establishment, and development of the Ponce Historic Zone. The plan is the result of litigation between the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce and the Government of Puerto Rico.^[24]

The Ponce en Marcha plan projects involve several departments of the Government of Puerto Rico:^[25]^[26]

The Puerto Rico Departamento de la Vivienda must complete the "Riberas del Bucaná III" residential project, and rehabilitate housing in the Baldorioty, La Ponderosa, and Lomas de Guaraguao sectors. It must rehabilitate the homes in the Puerto Viejo sector in barrio Playa plus 200 units of uninhabited lots citywide, restart the program "Tu Ciudad Renace", and demolish the housing project "Residencial Las Terrazas".
The Puerto Rico Autoridad de Carreteras must comply with the construction of the bridge at the intersection of PR-2 and Punto Oro, the two projects required to complete the Anillo de Circunvalación de Ponce, and three bridges over Avenida Maruca.
The Puerto Rico Autoridad de Edificios Públicos, must swap land belonging to the Puerto Rico Police Marine Unit in exchange for improvements to "Parque Julio González", and must complete the construction of the Ponce Headquarters of the Puerto Rico Police.
The Puerto Rico Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica must complete Phase III of the burial of aerial cabling within the "Zona Histórica", as well as Phase VI.
The Puerto Rico Autoridad de Acueductos Alcantarillados must complete the design of the water filtration plant at barrio Cerrillos, the acquisition of land for its construction and its distribution network.
The Puerto Rico Autoridad de los Puertos must expand the runway and taxiway at Mercedita Airport and build the maintenance building.
The Puerto Rico Departamento de Recursos Naturales must comply with the construction of the Portugués and Bucaná rivers lineal park, as well as the canalization of the Matilde, Pastillo y Canas rivers and the development of the La Matilde Natural Reserve and the Caja de Muertos Light.

Designation categories

Structures within the historic zone are classified into four categories:^[27]

The first consists of structures "with a monumental historic value", and part of the city's heritage.
The second is for those structures that while lacking a monumental historic value, possess some qualities of historic, architectural, or cultural interest.
The third category includes those structures of contextual value. These are those structures that may not intrinsically possess historic, architectural, or cultural value individually, but do enhance the area when they are considered contextually, as part of a larger group, as part of urban characteristic, or as part of the architecture of a section of a street.
And finally, category 4 is reserved for those structures that exist within the historic zone but whose value has not been assessed, that is, they are unclassified.

Sub-zones

The historic zone itself consists of three distinct sub-zones:^[29]

First Order Zone – This zone is limited to the area immediately surrounding Plaza Las Delicias. This is the original historic zone, created in 1962.
Second Order Zone – This is a zone that was added in 1989 further increasing the perimeter of the area around Plaza Las Delicias.
Third Order Zone – This zone was added in 1992, and it covered the communities of Mariani, Belgica, and parts of Clausells, and Cantera. It was also extended, for the first time, east of Rio Portugues, to cover the community of La Alhambra.

In August 2003, Mayor Cordero favored a measure to exclude Belgica, Claussells, and Cantera — all poor, low-income communities — from the historic zone.^[29]

References

^ "The Coup de Fouet magazine, vol. 12 (2008), pp. 28–29" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
^ Apoyo Ponceño al Parquimetro. El Nuevo Dia. 13 January 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
^ Great Public Places: Ponce Center City. Archived 16 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine Maria Fernanda Vallecillo. Project for Public Spaces, New York, New York. "Ponce Center City." Retrieved 11 December 2009.
^ Explore Puerto Rico. "Historic Ponce." Page 240. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
^ Frommer's Portable Puerto Rico. Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince. Volume 10. Second Ed. Wiley Publishing. Pages 7–8. "Historic District." Retrieved 11 December 2009.
^ GOBIERNO DE PUERTO RICO, JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO (7 December 2022). "REGISTRO DE PROPIEDADES DESIGNADAS POR LA JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO" (PDF). jp.pr.gov.
^ Culminan Fiestas del Tricentenario. El Nuevo Dia. 12 March 1992. Page 105.
^ Restauran Cine Teatro en Ponce. El Nuevo Dia. 18 May 1991.
^ Mapa Interactivo. Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Accessed 10 October 2011.
^ Carmelo Rosario Natal. Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945–2002. Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 180.
^ Carmelo Rosario Natal. Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945–2002. Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 185.
^ Mario Santana. Revitalizacion por Ley. El Nuevo Dia. 12 February 2004.
^ Carmelo Rosario Natal. Ponce en su Historia Moderna: 1945-2002. Secretaria de Cultura y Turismo del Municipio Autonomo de Ponce. First edition. 2003. pp. 190-192.
^ Carmelo Rosario Natal. Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945–2002. Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 193.
^ Carmelo Rosario Natal. Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945–2002. Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 219.
^ Executive Order Number 72 of 17 November 2005 Archived 14 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 4 May 2010.
^ Introduction to Ponce. Frommer's $440M Renovation Project. Retrieved 4 December 2005.
^ Welcome to Puerto Rico: Ponce. Nearly one half a billion dollars have been spent preserving the colonial core of Ponce. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
^ Identity, Power, and Place @ the Margins. Revolutionary Ideas in Planning. Proceedings of the 1998 National Planning Conference. By Wanda I. Mills. AICP Press. Archived 17 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine Ponce en Marcha. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
^ Explore Puerto Rico. By Harry S. Pariser. Page 242 Downtown revitalization brought historic buildings up to 1,046. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
^ National Register of Historic Places – buildings and structures
^ Great Public Places: Ponce Center City. Project for Public Spaces, New York, New York. By Maria Fernanda Vallecillo. Archived 16 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine Project for Public Spaces. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
^ 60 of the World's Great Places. Project for Public Spaces: Thirty Years of Placemaking. New York, New York. Archived 29 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 30 November 2009.
^ Denuncia Seilhamer Rodríguez: Imponen trabas al futuro de Mercedita. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
^ Arturo Picó Valls: Confía en juez del pleito Ponce en Marcha. Reinaldo Millán. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
^ Arturo Picó Valls: Confía en el nuevo juez del pleito Ponce en Marcha. Reinaldo Millán. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 27 January 2010. (Year 28, Issue 1365. page 17) Accessed 6 February 2018.
^ Cambios en la Normas en Busca de Repoblar. El Nuevo Dia. 9 June 2006. By Mario Santana Ortiz.
^ Discover Ponce's NeoClassical Buildings and Museums. Puertorico.com: Puerto Rico Channel. 2018. Accessed 28 March 2018.
^ ^a ^b Revitalizacion por Ley. El Nuevo Dia. 12 February 2004.

External links

Media related to Ponce Historic Zone at Wikimedia Commons

[1] "The Coup de Fouet magazine, vol. 12 (2008), pp. 28–29" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.

[2] Apoyo Ponceño al Parquimetro. El Nuevo Dia. 13 January 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2010.

[3] Great Public Places: Ponce Center City. Archived 16 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine Maria Fernanda Vallecillo. Project for Public Spaces, New York, New York. "Ponce Center City." Retrieved 11 December 2009.

[4] Explore Puerto Rico. "Historic Ponce." Page 240. Retrieved 11 December 2009.

[5] Frommer's Portable Puerto Rico. Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince. Volume 10. Second Ed. Wiley Publishing. Pages 7–8. "Historic District." Retrieved 11 December 2009.

[:0-6] GOBIERNO DE PUERTO RICO, JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO (7 December 2022). "REGISTRO DE PROPIEDADES DESIGNADAS POR LA JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO" (PDF). jp.pr.gov.

[7] Culminan Fiestas del Tricentenario. El Nuevo Dia. 12 March 1992. Page 105.

[8] Restauran Cine Teatro en Ponce. El Nuevo Dia. 18 May 1991.

[9] Mapa Interactivo. Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Accessed 10 October 2011.

[10] Carmelo Rosario Natal. Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945–2002. Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 180.

[11] Carmelo Rosario Natal. Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945–2002. Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 185.

[12] Mario Santana. Revitalizacion por Ley. El Nuevo Dia. 12 February 2004.

[13] Carmelo Rosario Natal. Ponce en su Historia Moderna: 1945-2002. Secretaria de Cultura y Turismo del Municipio Autonomo de Ponce. First edition. 2003. pp. 190-192.

[14] Carmelo Rosario Natal. Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945–2002. Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 193.

[15] Carmelo Rosario Natal. Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945–2002. Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 219.

[16] Executive Order Number 72 of 17 November 2005 Archived 14 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 4 May 2010.

[17] Introduction to Ponce. Frommer's $440M Renovation Project. Retrieved 4 December 2005.

[18] Welcome to Puerto Rico: Ponce. Nearly one half a billion dollars have been spent preserving the colonial core of Ponce. Retrieved 30 November 2009.

[19] Identity, Power, and Place @ the Margins. Revolutionary Ideas in Planning. Proceedings of the 1998 National Planning Conference. By Wanda I. Mills. AICP Press. Archived 17 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine Ponce en Marcha. Retrieved 30 November 2009.

[20] Explore Puerto Rico. By Harry S. Pariser. Page 242 Downtown revitalization brought historic buildings up to 1,046. Retrieved 7 December 2009.

[21] National Register of Historic Places – buildings and structures

[22] Great Public Places: Ponce Center City. Project for Public Spaces, New York, New York. By Maria Fernanda Vallecillo. Archived 16 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine Project for Public Spaces. Retrieved 30 November 2009.

[23] 60 of the World's Great Places. Project for Public Spaces: Thirty Years of Placemaking. New York, New York. Archived 29 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 30 November 2009.

[24] Denuncia Seilhamer Rodríguez: Imponen trabas al futuro de Mercedita. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 11 October 2011.

[25] Arturo Picó Valls: Confía en juez del pleito Ponce en Marcha. Reinaldo Millán. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 21 October 2011.

[26] Arturo Picó Valls: Confía en el nuevo juez del pleito Ponce en Marcha. Reinaldo Millán. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 27 January 2010. (Year 28, Issue 1365. page 17) Accessed 6 February 2018.

[27] Cambios en la Normas en Busca de Repoblar. El Nuevo Dia. 9 June 2006. By Mario Santana Ortiz.

[28] Discover Ponce's NeoClassical Buildings and Museums. Puertorico.com: Puerto Rico Channel. 2018. Accessed 28 March 2018.

[Ley._2004-29] Revitalizacion por Ley. El Nuevo Dia. 12 February 2004.

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+{{Short description|Historic area in Ponce, Puerto Rico}}
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-The '''Ponce Historic Zone''' (''La Zona Histórica de Ponce'') is a historic district in downtown [[Ponce, Puerto Rico]], consisting of buildings and structures with architecture that date to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  The zone was originally designated in 1962, and initially included only the center core of the city, but it has since been expanded to include a much larger area.<ref>Mario Santana. ''Revitalizacion por Ley.'' El Nuevo Dia. 12 February 2004.</ref>  On November 17, 2005, then-Governor of Puerto Rico, [[Aníbal Acevedo Vilá]], signed Executive Order Number 72, approving the historic Ponce center as a Historic Center of First Order.<ref>[http://www.microjuris.com/mjpr/reglamentos/is/reg_report_regs.cfm?RegID=8478 Executive Order Number 72, of November 17, 2005] Retrieved May 4, 2010.</ref>  The zone goes by various names, including '''Ponce Tradicional''' (Traditional Ponce),<ref>[https://www.adendi.com/archivo.asp?num=49828 ''Apoyo Ponceño al Parquimetro.'' El Nuevo Dia. 13 January 2007.] Retrieved 5 May 2010.</ref> '''Ponce Centro''' (Ponce Center),<ref>[http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=784 ''Great Public Places: Ponce Center City.''] Maria Fernanda Vallecillo. Project for Public Spaces, New York, New York. "Ponce Center City." Retrieved 11 December 2009.</ref> '''Ponce Histórico''' (Historic Ponce),<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=KawuqbFxLS0C&pg=PT239 ''Explore Puerto Rico.''] "Historic Ponce." Page 240. Retrieved 11 December 2009.</ref> and '''Distrito Histórico''' (Historic District).<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=XGQxGS0DVSoC&pg=PA7 ''Frommer's Portable Puerto Rico.''] Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince. Volume 10. Second Ed. Wiley Publishing. Pages 7-8. "Historic District." Retrieved 11 December 2009.</ref>
+The '''Ponce Historic Zone''' ([[Puerto Rican Spanish|Spanish]]: ''Zona Histórica de Ponce'') is a [[historic district]] in downtown [[Ponce, Puerto Rico]], consisting of buildings, plazas and structures with distinctive architectures such as [[Neoclásico Isabelino]] and the [[Ponce Creole]], a local architectural style developed between the 19th- and early 20th-centuries.<ref>{{cite web |title=The ''Coup de Fouet'' magazine, vol. 12 (2008), pp. 28–29 |url=http://artnouveau.eu/upload/magazine_pdf/cdf-12.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715192205/http://artnouveau.eu/upload/magazine_pdf/cdf-12.pdf |archive-date=15 July 2019 |access-date=15 July 2019}}</ref> The zone goes by various names, including '''Traditional Ponce''' (''Ponce Tradicional''),<ref>[https://www.adendi.com/archivo.asp?num=49828 ''Apoyo Ponceño al Parquimetro.'' El Nuevo Dia. 13 January 2007.] Retrieved 5 May 2010.</ref> '''Central Ponce''' (''Ponce Centro''),<ref>[http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=784 ''Great Public Places: Ponce Center City.''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100816042142/http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=784 |date=16 August 2010 }} Maria Fernanda Vallecillo. Project for Public Spaces, New York, New York. "Ponce Center City." Retrieved 11 December 2009.</ref> '''Historic Ponce''' (''Ponce Histórico''),<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=KawuqbFxLS0C&pg=PT239 ''Explore Puerto Rico.''] "Historic Ponce." Page 240. Retrieved 11 December 2009.</ref> and '''Ponce Historic District''' (''Distrito Histórico de Ponce'').<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=XGQxGS0DVSoC&pg=PA7 ''Frommer's Portable Puerto Rico.''] Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince. Volume 10. Second Ed. Wiley Publishing. Pages 7–8. "Historic District." Retrieved 11 December 2009.</ref> Although not yet listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]], the Ponce Historic Zone was added to the [[Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones]] (''Registro Nacional de Sitios y Zonas Históricas'') on February 2, 1989.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=GOBIERNO DE PUERTO RICO |first=JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO |date=December 7, 2022 |title=REGISTRO DE PROPIEDADES DESIGNADAS POR LA JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO |url=https://jp.pr.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/REGISTRO-OFICIAL-DE-SITIOS-Y-ZONAS-HISTORICAS-DESIGNADAS-Rev.-DIC-2022.pdf |website=jp.pr.gov}}</ref>
 ==Location==
+The historic zone is located in what is commonly called ''Ponce Pueblo'' – the central downtown and oldest area of the city. While there are several roads that lead to it, the most common point of entry is via [[Puerto Rico Highway 1|PR-1]], which becomes the Miguel Pou Boulevard, and then into the one-way Isabel Street, leading to the center of Ponce at the [[Plaza Las Delicias]].<ref>''Culminan Fiestas del Tricentenario.'' El Nuevo Dia. 12 March 1992. Page 105.</ref>
-[[File:Weichert-Villaronga.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The [[Museo de la Arquitectura Ponceña]], is housed in this 100-year old residence on Reina and Mendez Vigo streets]]
-The zone is located in what is commonly called ''Ponce Pueblo'' ("Ponce Town") – the central downtown and oldest area of the city. While there are several roads that lead to it, the most typical point of entry is via [[Puerto Rico Highway 1|PR-1]] which, at its southern terminus, becomes [[Lolita Tizol]] street<ref>''Culminan Fiestas del Tricentenario.'' El Nuevo Dia. March 12, 1992. Page 105.</ref> and turns into [[Isabella II of Spain|Isabel]] street, leading to the heart of Ponce at the [[Plaza Las Delicias]]. A map of the area covered by the Ponce Historic Zone is available from the government of the municipality of Ponce.<ref>[http://www.visitaaponce.com/mapa.aspx# Mapa Interactivo.''] Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Accessed 10 October 2011.</ref>
-In addition to Plaza Las Delicias with its unique [[Parque de Bombas]] and [[Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe Cathedral]], the zone includes landmarks such as [[Ponce City Hall|City Hall]], [[Armstrong-Poventud Residence]], [[Ponce High School]], and [[Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro]]. Numerous other attractions in this historic area are listed in the [[NRHP]], such as [[Banco de Ponce (building)|Banco de Ponce]], [[Casa Paoli]], and [[Casa de la Masacre]].  Others, such as [[Teatro Fox Delicias]], [[Teatro La Perla]], [[Plaza del Mercado de Ponce|Plaza de Mercado]], [[Hotel Meliá]], and [[Paseo Atocha]] are not listed but possess significant historical value.<ref>''Restauran Cine Teatro en Ponce.'' El Nuevo Dia. May 18, 1991.</ref>  Street corners in most of this zone have [[chamfer]]ed corners ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]: esquinas de chaflán), typical of [[Barcelona, Spain]].
+In addition to Plaza Las Delicias, with its unique [[Parque de Bombas]] and [[Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe Cathedral]], the zone includes landmarks such as [[Ponce City Hall]], [[Armstrong-Poventud Residence]], [[Ponce High School]], and [[Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro]]. Numerous other attractions in this historic area are listed in the [[NRHP]], such as [[Banco de Ponce (building)|Banco de Ponce]], [[Casa Paoli]], and [[Casa de la Masacre]].  Others, such as [[Teatro Fox Delicias]], [[Teatro La Perla]], [[Plaza del Mercado de Ponce|Plaza de Mercado]], [[Hotel Meliá]], and [[Paseo Atocha]] are not listed but possess significant historical value.<ref>''Restauran Cine Teatro en Ponce.'' El Nuevo Dia. 18 May 1991.</ref>  Street corners in most of this zone have [[chamfer]]ed corners (''esquinas de chaflán''), typical of [[Barcelona, Spain]].
+A map of the area covered by the Ponce Historic Zone is available (in 2011) from the government of the municipality of Ponce.<ref>[http://www.visitaaponce.com/mapa.aspx# Mapa Interactivo.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717221955/http://www.visitaaponce.com/mapa.aspx|date=17 July 2011}} Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Accessed 10 October 2011.</ref>
-==''Ponce en Marcha''==
-[[File:CasaPaoli JuanLlanesSantosPRSHPO pic2 MainFacade.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The restored childhood home of [[Antonio Paoli]], is part of the Historic Zone]]
-In recent years an intensive $440 million<ref>[http://www.frommers.com/destinations/ponce/0328010001.html ''Introduction to Ponce.'' '''Frommer's''' ] $440M Renovation Project. Retrieved December 4, 2005.</ref><ref>[http://welcome.topuertorico.org/city/ponce.shtml ''Welcome to Puerto Rico: Ponce.''] Nearly one half a billion dollars have been spent preserving the colonial core of Ponce. Retrieved November 30, 2009.</ref> revitalization project called "''Ponce en Marcha''"<ref>[http://design.asu.edu/apa/proceedings98/Mills/mills.html ''Identity, Power, and Place @ the Margins.'' '''Revolutionary Ideas in Planning.''' Proceeding of the 1998 National Planning Conference. By Wanda I. Mills.  AICP Press.] Ponce en Marcha. Retrieved November 30, 2009.</ref> ("Ponce on the Move") has increased the city's historic area from 260 to 1,046 buildings.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=KawuqbFxLS0C&pg=PT242 '''Explore Puerto Rico.''' By Harry S. Pariser. Page 242] Downtown revitalization brought historic buildings up to 1,046. Retrieved December 7, 2009.</ref> The ''Ponce en Marcha'' project was conceived in 1985 by then governor [[Rafael Hernández Colón]] during his second term in [[La Fortaleza]]. A significant number of buildings in Ponce are listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places listings in southern Puerto Rico|National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>[[National Register of Historic Places listings in southern Puerto Rico#Ponce|National Register of Historic Places - buildings and structures]]</ref> The nonprofit ''Project for Public Places''<ref>[http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=784 ''Great Public Places: Ponce Center City.'' Project for Public Spaces, New York, New York. By Maria Fernanda Vallecillo.] Project for Public Spaces. Retrieved November 30, 2009.</ref> listed the historic downtown Ponce city center as one of the ''60 of the World's Great Places'', for its "graciously preserved showcase of Caribbean culture".<ref>[http://www.pps.org/info/gps/60places ''60 of the World's Great Places.'' Project for Public Spaces: Thirty Years of Placemaking. New York, New York.] Retrieved November 30, 2009.</ref> The ''Ponce en Marcha'' project has given even more form to the definition, establishment, and development of the Ponce Historic Zone. The plan is the result of litigation between the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce and the Government of Puerto Rico.<ref>[http://www.periodicolaperla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1073:no-al-traspaso-no-a-la-expansion-y-no-a-la-privatizacion-de-mercedita&catid=81:locales&Itemid=198 ''Denuncia Seilhamer Rodríguez: Imponen trabas al futuro de Mercedita.''] Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 11 October 2011.</ref>
-{{clear}}
-The ''Ponce en Marcha'' plan projects involve several departments of the Government of Puerto Rico:<ref>[http://www.periodicolaperla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=998:confia-en-el-nuevo-juez-del-pleito-ponce-en-marcha&catid=81:locales&Itemid=198 ''Arturo Picó Valls: Confía en juez del pleito Ponce en Marcha.''] Reinaldo Millán. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 21 October 2011.</ref>
+==History==
-*The Puerto Rico ''[[Public housing in Puerto Rico|Departamento de la Vivienda]]'' must complete the "Riberas del Bucaná III" residential project, and rehabilitate housing in the Baldorioty, La Ponderosa, and Lomas de [[Guaraguao]] sectors. It must rehabilitate the homes in the Puerto Viejo sector in barrio [[Playa (Ponce)|Playa]] plus 200 units of uninhabited lots citywide, restart the program "Tu Ciudad Renace", and demolish the housing project "Residencial Las Terrazas".
+[[File:Weichert-Villaronga.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The 1912 [[Casa Wiechers-Villaronga]], housing the [[Museo de la Arquitectura Ponceña]]]]{{See also|Timeline of Ponce, Puerto Rico}}{{external media
-*The Puerto Rico ''[[Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works|Autoridad de Carreteras]]'' must comply with the construction of the bridge at the intersection of [[Puerto Rico Highway 2|PR-2]] and Punto Oro, the two projects required to complete the ''[[PR-9|Anillo de Circunvalación de Ponce]]'', and three bridges over Avenida Maruca.
+| float  = left
-*The Puerto Rico ''Autoridad de Edificios Públicos'', must swap land belonging to the Puerto Rico Police Marine Unit in exchange for improvements to "Parque Julio González", and must complete the construction of the Ponce Headquarters of the Puerto Rico Police.
+| audio1 = You may see some of the streets in Zona Historica de Ponce  [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AspdKpJ97IY '''HERE''']
-*The Puerto Rico ''[[Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority|Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica]]'' must complete Phase III of the burial of [[aerial cable|aerial cabling]] within the "Zona Histórica", as well as Phase VI.
+}}
-*The Puerto Rico ''Autoridad de Acueductos Alcantarillados'' must complete the design of the water filtration plant at barrio [[Cerrillos (Ponce)|Cerrillos]], the acquisition of land for its construction and its distribution network.
-*The Puerto Rico ''[[Puerto Rico Ports Authority|Autoridad de los Puertos]]'' must expand the [[runway]] and [[taxiway]] at [[Mercedita Airport]] and build the maintenance building.
-*The Puerto Rico ''[[Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources|Departamento de Recursos Naturales]]'' must comply with the construction of the [[Parque Lineal Veredas del Labrador|Portugués and Bucaná rivers lineal park]], as well as the canalization of the [[Rio Matilde|Matilde]], [[Rio Pastillo|Pastillo]] y [[Rio Canas|Canas]] rivers and the development of the La Matilde Natural Reserve and the [[Caja de Muertos Light]].
-{{clear}}
+Carmelo Rosario Natal has linked the origins of the Ponce Historic Zone to an event that took place on 8 June 1893. On that date, La Gaceta de Puerto Rico, the insular government's official periodical, published an edict of the Governor of Puerto Rico, Antonio Daban y Ramirez de Arellano, that mandated municipal authorities throughout the Island to divide, for fire control purposes, a town's urban center into three zones: stone-built, build with fire resistant materials, and built with combustible materials. No structure could be built, rebuilt or restored within a minimum of 50 meters from [[Plaza Las Delicias|the town's central square]] unless it was stoned-built or it was to be upgraded to a stone-built structure.<ref>Carmelo Rosario Natal. ''Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945–2002.''  Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 180.</ref> According to Rosario Natal, those were the roots of what almost 70 years later would be called the Ponce Historic Zone.
-==Categories==
-[[File:Ponce002.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Ponce Cathedral|Cathedral Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe]] was rebuilt in more splendor after the [[1918 Puerto Rico earthquake]]]]
+On 20 June 1960, governor [[Luis Muñoz Marín]] amended the law regarding historic zones, making it possible for Ponce to be included in such category.<ref>Carmelo Rosario Natal. ''Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945–2002.''  Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 185.</ref>  On 6 June 1962, the Zone was officially designated as such, and initially included only the center core of the city, but it was later expanded to include a much larger area.<ref>Mario Santana. ''Revitalizacion por Ley.'' El Nuevo Dia. 12 February 2004.</ref> On that date (6 June 1962) the [[Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña]], with the concurrence of the [[Puerto Rico Planning Board]], approved a resolution creating the Zone. The Zone included a list of 22, mostly contiguous areas, including specific buildings, structures, plaza, streets and sectors that were to be preserved. It also included an area in [[barrio Playa]], including the ruins of the old [[Fuerte de San José]].<ref>Carmelo Rosario Natal. ''Ponce en su Historia Moderna: 1945-2002.'' Secretaria de  Cultura y Turismo del Municipio Autonomo de Ponce. First edition. 2003. pp. 190-192.</ref>
-Structures within the historic zone are classified into four categories:<ref>''Cambios en la Normas en Busca de Repoblar.'' El Nuevo Dia. June 9, 2006. By Mario Santana Ortiz.</ref>
-* The first consists of structures "with a monumental historic value", and part of the city’s heritage.
+It was not long before the creation of the Zone was opposed by local developers and the real estate service industry. Ismaro Torruella, president of the Municipal Assembly, who was originally one of the supporters of the creation of the Zone, succumbed to mounting pressure from local developers, business people and realtors and, by 1962, now favored the elimination, or at least the limitation, of the Zone. "The evidence on this matter is clear. Torruella and his colleagues wanted to make sure the public hearing [of 10 March 1965] was controlled by them."<ref>Carmelo Rosario Natal. ''Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945–2002.'' Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 193.</ref> Opposing groups sought to make their voices known to the townspeople at large, not just to the Municipal Government and the [[Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña|ICP]], and formed "Comite de Ciudadanos para el Progreso de Ponce" (Citizens Committee Ponce's Progress). This committee included prominent businessmen such as [[Museo de la Historia de Ponce|Juan Eugenio Candal]], [[Rovira Biscuits Corporation|Jose Maria Rovira]], [[Armstrong-Poventud Residence|Gustavo Armstrong]], [[Teodoro Moscoso|Jose Moscoso]], [[Puerto Rico Highway 14|Tito Castro]], among several others. To counter this group, supporters of the Historic Zone created their own "Comite Ponceño Pro Buen Progreso" (Ponce Citizens' Committee for Fair Progress)." The debates went on for years with many public hearings taking place. Professional urban planning, traffic, and architectural studies, among others, also took place and recommendations were provided. One study categorized the architectural styles in the Historic Zone into seven groups: [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical European]], [[Spanish Colonial architecture|Spanish Colonial]], [[Ponce Creole architecture|Ponce Creole]], [[Vernacular architecture|Criollo Pueblerino]],  [[Vernacular architecture|Criollo Residencial Pueblerino]], [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical Creole]], and [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical Superior]].<ref>Carmelo Rosario Natal. ''Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945–2002.''  Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 219.</ref>
+On 17 November 2005, then-Governor of Puerto Rico, [[Aníbal Acevedo Vilá]], signed Executive Order Number 72, approving the historic Ponce center as a Historic Center of First Order.<ref>[http://www.microjuris.com/mjpr/reglamentos/is/reg_report_regs.cfm?RegID=8478 Executive Order Number 72 of 17 November 2005] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714085427/http://www.microjuris.com/mjpr/reglamentos/is/reg_report_regs.cfm?RegID=8478 |date=14 July 2011 }} Retrieved 4 May 2010.</ref>
+== ''Plan Ponce en Marcha'' ==
+[[File:CasaPaoli JuanLlanesSantosPRSHPO pic2 MainFacade.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Casa Paoli]], the childhood home of opera star [[Antonio Paoli]]]]
+In the 1990s an intensive $440 million<ref>[http://www.frommers.com/destinations/ponce/0328010001.html ''Introduction to Ponce.'' '''Frommer's''' ] $440M Renovation Project. Retrieved 4 December 2005.</ref><ref>[http://welcome.topuertorico.org/city/ponce.shtml ''Welcome to Puerto Rico: Ponce.''] Nearly one half a billion dollars have been spent preserving the colonial core of Ponce. Retrieved 30 November 2009.</ref> revitalization project called "''Plan Ponce en Marcha''"<ref>[http://design.asu.edu/apa/proceedings98/Mills/mills.html ''Identity, Power, and Place @ the Margins.'' '''Revolutionary Ideas in Planning.''' Proceedings of the 1998 National Planning Conference. By Wanda I. Mills.  AICP Press.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517052420/http://www.design.asu.edu/apa/proceedings98/Mills/mills.html |date=17 May 2008 }} Ponce en Marcha. Retrieved 30 November 2009.</ref> ("Ponce on the Move Plan") has increased the city's historic area from 260 to 1,046 buildings.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=KawuqbFxLS0C&pg=PT242 '''Explore Puerto Rico.''' By Harry S. Pariser. Page 242] Downtown revitalization brought historic buildings up to 1,046. Retrieved 7 December 2009.</ref> The ''Ponce en Marcha'' project was conceived in 1985 by then governor [[Rafael Hernández Colón]] during his second term in [[La Fortaleza]]. A significant number of buildings in Ponce are listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places listings in southern Puerto Rico|National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>[[National Register of Historic Places listings in southern Puerto Rico#Ponce|National Register of Historic Places – buildings and structures]]</ref> The nonprofit ''Project for Public Places''<ref>[http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=784 ''Great Public Places: Ponce Center City.'' Project for Public Spaces, New York, New York. By Maria Fernanda Vallecillo.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100816042142/http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=784 |date=16 August 2010 }} Project for Public Spaces. Retrieved 30 November 2009.</ref> listed the historic downtown Ponce city center as one of the ''60 of the World's Great Places'', for its "graciously preserved showcase of Caribbean culture".<ref>[http://www.pps.org/info/gps/60places ''60 of the World's Great Places.'' Project for Public Spaces: Thirty Years of Placemaking. New York, New York.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429041118/http://www.pps.org/info/gps/60places |date=29 April 2009 }} Retrieved 30 November 2009.</ref> The ''Ponce en Marcha'' project has given even more form to the definition, establishment, and development of the Ponce Historic Zone. The plan is the result of litigation between the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce and the Government of Puerto Rico.<ref>[http://www.periodicolaperla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1073:no-al-traspaso-no-a-la-expansion-y-no-a-la-privatizacion-de-mercedita&catid=81:locales&Itemid=198 ''Denuncia Seilhamer Rodríguez: Imponen trabas al futuro de Mercedita.''] Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 11 October 2011.</ref>
+The ''Ponce en Marcha'' plan projects involve several departments of the Government of Puerto Rico:<ref>[http://www.periodicolaperla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=998:confia-en-el-nuevo-juez-del-pleito-ponce-en-marcha&catid=81:locales&Itemid=198 ''Arturo Picó Valls: Confía en juez del pleito Ponce en Marcha.''] Reinaldo Millán. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 21 October 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.periodicolaperla.com/confia-en-el-nuevo-juez-del-pleito-ponce-en-marcha/  ''Arturo Picó Valls: Confía en el nuevo juez del pleito Ponce en Marcha.''] Reinaldo Millán. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 27 January 2010. (Year 28, Issue 1365. page 17) Accessed 6 February 2018.</ref>
+* The Puerto Rico ''[[Public housing in Puerto Rico|Departamento de la Vivienda]]'' must complete the "Riberas del Bucaná III" residential project, and rehabilitate housing in the Baldorioty, La Ponderosa, and Lomas de [[Guaraguao]] sectors. It must rehabilitate the homes in the Puerto Viejo sector in barrio [[Playa (Ponce)|Playa]] plus 200 units of uninhabited lots citywide, restart the program "Tu Ciudad Renace", and demolish the housing project "Residencial Las Terrazas".
+* The Puerto Rico ''[[Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works|Autoridad de Carreteras]]'' must comply with the construction of the bridge at the intersection of [[Puerto Rico Highway 2|PR-2]] and Punto Oro, the two projects required to complete the ''[[Puerto Rico Highway 9|Anillo de Circunvalación de Ponce]]'', and three bridges over Avenida Maruca.
+* The Puerto Rico ''Autoridad de Edificios Públicos'', must swap land belonging to the Puerto Rico Police Marine Unit in exchange for improvements to "Parque Julio González", and must complete the construction of the Ponce Headquarters of the Puerto Rico Police.
+* The Puerto Rico ''[[Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority|Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica]]'' must complete Phase III of the burial of [[aerial cable|aerial cabling]] within the "Zona Histórica", as well as Phase VI.
+* The Puerto Rico ''[[Puerto Rico Aqueducts and Sewers Authority|Autoridad de Acueductos Alcantarillados]]'' must complete the design of the water filtration plant at barrio [[Cerrillos (Ponce)|Cerrillos]], the acquisition of land for its construction and its distribution network.
+* The Puerto Rico ''[[Puerto Rico Ports Authority|Autoridad de los Puertos]]'' must expand the [[runway]] and [[taxiway]] at [[Mercedita Airport]] and build the maintenance building.
+* The Puerto Rico ''[[Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources|Departamento de Recursos Naturales]]'' must comply with the construction of the [[Parque Lineal Veredas del Labrador|Portugués and Bucaná rivers lineal park]], as well as the canalization of the [[Rio Matilde|Matilde]], [[Rio Pastillo|Pastillo]] y [[Rio Canas|Canas]] rivers and the development of the La Matilde Natural Reserve and the [[Caja de Muertos Light]].
+{{Clear}}
+=== Designation categories ===
+[[File:Catedral Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Plaza Las Delicias, Ponce, Puerto Rico, mirando al noreste (Ponce002).jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Ponce Cathedral|Cathedral Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe]] was rebuilt in more splendor after the [[1918 San Fermín earthquake]]]]
+Structures within the historic zone are classified into four categories:<ref>''Cambios en la Normas en Busca de Repoblar.'' El Nuevo Dia. 9 June 2006. By Mario Santana Ortiz.</ref>
+* The first consists of structures "with a monumental historic value", and part of the city's heritage.
 * The second is for those structures that while lacking a monumental historic value, possess some qualities of historic, architectural, or cultural interest.
-* The third category includes those structures of contextual value. These are those structures that may not intrinsically possess historic, architectural, or cultural value individually, they but do enhance the area when they are considered contextually, as part of a larger group, as part of urban characteristic, or as part of the architecture of a section of a street.
+* The third category includes those structures of contextual value. These are those structures that may not intrinsically possess historic, architectural, or cultural value individually, but do enhance the area when they are considered contextually, as part of a larger group, as part of urban characteristic, or as part of the architecture of a section of a street.
 * And finally, category 4 is reserved for those structures that exist within the historic zone but whose value has not been assessed, that is, they are unclassified.
-{{clear}}
+{{Clear}}
-==Sub-zones==
+=== Sub-zones ===
-[[File:Ponce City Hall.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Ponce City Hall]], built in the 1840s, is the oldest colonial building in the city.]]
+[[File:Ponce City Hall.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Ponce City Hall]], or Casa Alcaldia de Ponce, built in the 1840s, is the oldest colonial building in the city.<ref>[http://www.puertorico.com/porta-caribe/ponce/ ''Discover Ponce's NeoClassical Buildings and Museums.''] Puertorico.com: Puerto Rico Channel. 2018. Accessed 28 March 2018.</ref>]]
+The historic zone itself consists of three distinct sub-zones:<ref name="Ley. 2004">''Revitalizacion por Ley.'' El Nuevo Dia. 12 February 2004.</ref>
-The historic zone itself consists of three distinct sub-zones:<ref name="Ley. 2004">''Revitalizacion por Ley.'' El Nuevo Dia. February 12, 2004.</ref>
 * First Order Zone – This zone is limited to the area immediately surrounding [[Plaza Las Delicias]]. This is the original historic zone, created in 1962.
 * Second Order Zone – This is a zone that was added in 1989 further increasing the perimeter of the area around Plaza Las Delicias.
 * Third Order Zone – This zone was added in 1992, and it covered the communities of Mariani, Belgica, and parts of Clausells, and Cantera. It was also extended, for the first time, east of [[Rio Portugues]], to cover the community of La Alhambra.
-In August, 2003, [[Churumba|Mayor Cordero]] favored a measure to exclude Belgica, Claussells, and Cantera—all poor, low-income communities—from the historic zone.<ref name="Ley. 2004"/>
+In August 2003, [[Churumba|Mayor Cordero]] favored a measure to exclude Belgica, Claussells, and Cantera — all poor, low-income communities — from the historic zone.<ref name="Ley. 2004"/>
-{{clear}}
+{{Clear}}
+==See also==
+{{Portal|Puerto Rico}}
+* {{C|National Register of Historic Places in Ponce, Puerto Rico}}
 ==References==
+{{Reflist}}
-<references/>
+==External links==
+* {{Commons category-inline}}
+{{Historic buildings of the Ponce Historic Zone}}
-{{coord|18|00|41.6874|N|66|36|50.22|W|display=title}}
-[[Category:Visitor attractions in Ponce, Puerto Rico]]
 [[Category:Historic districts in Puerto Rico]]
-[[Category:History of Puerto Rico]]
 [[Category:Buildings and structures in Ponce, Puerto Rico]]
-[[Category:1962 in Puerto Rico]]
+[[Category:Ponce, Puerto Rico|.]]
-[[Category:2005 in Puerto Rico]]
+[[Category:1962 establishments in Puerto Rico]]
+[[Category:2005 establishments in Puerto Rico]]
+[[Category:Tourist attractions in Ponce, Puerto Rico]]

v t e Landmarks and historic buildings of the Ponce Historic Zone
Plaza Las Delicias and immediate vicinity	Plaza Las Delicias Plaza Degetau Plaza Muñoz Rivera Monumento a los héroes de El Polvorín Hotel Meliá Casa Saurí Los Chinos de Ponce
Government buildings	Casa Alcaldía Ponce Servicios Antiguo Casino de Ponce Correo de la Atocha
Schools and colleges	Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico Escuela de Arquitectura Instituto de Música Juan Morel Campos Escuela Superior Ponce High
Religious buildings	Catedral Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Iglesia de la Santísima Trinidad Primera Iglesia Metodista Unida de Ponce
Museums	Museo Parque de Bombas Museo Francisco "Pancho" Coimbre Museo de la Historia de Ponce Museo de Arte de Ponce Museo de la Arquitectura Ponceña Museo de la Música Puertorriqueña Museo de la Masacre de Ponce Casa Paoli Residencia Armstrong-Poventud Fundación Biblioteca Rafael Hernández Colón
Monuments and memorials	Monumento a los héroes de El Polvorín Monumento a la abolición de la esclavitud Estatua Juan Morel Campos Estatua Domingo Cruz ("Cocolía") Estatua Luis Muñoz Rivera Ponce Honra A Su Maestra: Lolita Tizol Monumento a la Mujer
Theaters	Teatro La Perla Teatro Fox Delicias Concha Acústica de Ponce
Parks	Parque Urbano Dora Colón Clavell Parque de la Abolición Parque del Tricentenario Parque Ecológico Urbano Parque Lineal Veredas del Labrador
Markets	Paseo Atocha Plaza del Mercado de Ponce Mercado de las Carnes
Historic banks	Edificio Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño Edificio Banco de Ponce Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño (institution) Banco de Ponce (institution)
Historic houses	Casa Fernando Luis Toro Casa Oppenheimer Residencia Subirá Casa Rosaly–Batiz Casa Vives Residencia Ermelindo Salazar Centro Español de Ponce Casa Salazar-Candal Casa Wiechers-Villaronga
Others	Albergue Caritativo Tricoche Antiguo Cuartel Militar Español de Ponce Antiguo Hospital Militar Español de Ponce Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro Ponce YMCA Calle 25 de Enero Campo Atlético Charles H. Terry