Monumento a los heroes de El Polvorín (obelisk)

Monumento a los heroes de El Polvorín

Image of the monument
Coordinates	18° 0' 40.6794" N, 66° 36' 49.464" W (N 18.01130, W 66.61374).
Location	Plaza Degetau at Plaza Las Delicias, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Type	Obelisk
Material	Granite and Marble
Height	approx 20 feet
Beginning date	ca. 1947
Completion date	1948
Opening date	25 January 1948
Dedicated to	The "El Polvorin" fire heroes

The Monumento a los heroes de El Polvorín (Monument to the "El Polvorín" fire heroes) is a monument at Plaza Las Delicias in Ponce, Puerto Rico, dedicated to the seven fire fighters and one civilian that subdued the flames of the "El Polvorin" fire on the night of 25 January 1899.

Location

The monument is located in a shady area on the eastern half of Plaza Degetau, the southern plaza at Plaza Las Delicias in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Background

On 25 January 1899, a large fire (later dubbed "El Polvorin") threatened the lives of Ponceños, as well as the economy of Puerto Rico as a whole, given Ponce's de facto role as Puerto Rico's banking and agricultural capital. For their success, the group was honored many times both in Ponce and the rest of Puerto Rico. The obelisk was built to honor their memory.

The structure

The obelisk was built in 1948.^[1] It replaced the original obelisk built shortly after the 25 January 1899 fire, but which was destroyed by the 1918 Puerto Rico earthquake.^[2] The obelisk was erected by a city board consisting of Jaime L. Drew, Antonio Arias, and Antonio Mirabal.^[2] This monument is different from the obelisk/tomb built in 1911, and dedicated to the same men, and which stands at the Cementerio Civil de Ponce (Ponce Civil Cemetery).^[3][4]

The four-sided obelisk has four plaques, one on each side.

The plaque facing East reads:

"Tributo de Gratitud que el pueblo de Ponce dedica en el 49o aniversario del acaecimiento, a sus ocho benemeritos hijos quienes, con expocision de sus vidas, conjuraron el voraz elemento. 25 de enero de 1948."

"Homenage of Gratefulness which the people of Ponce dedicate on the 49th anniversary of its occurrence to its eight distinguished citizens who, exposing their own lives, fought the raging fire. 25 January 1948."

The North-facing plaque lists the honored men, saying:

"Heroes de la Jornada Rafael Rivera Esbri (civil)[lower-alpha 1] Pedro Sabater Rafael del Valle Cayetano Casals Pedro Ruiz Juan Romero Gregorio Rivera Tomas Rivera."

"Heroes of the Labor Rafael Rivera Esbri (civilian) Pedro Sabater Rafael del Valle Cayetano Casals Pedro Ruiz Juan Romero Gregorio Rivera Tomas Rivera."

The Western-facing plaque says:

"El siniestro al que se hace referencia se desarrollo en el lugar en que se levanta la Escuela Rosevelt, manzana que circuyen la calles Comercio, Salud, Cristina, Trujillo."

"The disaster to which we make reference occurred at the location of Roosevelt School,[lower-alpha 2] the block bordered by Comercio, Salud, Cristina and Trujillo streets."

The plaque facing South reads:

"Junta Erectora: Jaime L. Drew Antonio Arias Antonio Mirabal"

"Building Board: Jaime L. Drew Antonio Arias Antonio Mirabal"

Notes

1. The civilian Rafael Rivera Esbrí later became a mayor of Ponce.
2. The "Roosevelt School", mentioned on the Western facing plaque, refers to the Ponce High School.

References

1. Camina por Ponce: "Ponce es nuestro; Ponce es del que nos visita". Municipality of Ponce. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
2. Pariser, Harry S. (2002). Explore Puerto Rico (5th ed.). Harry S. Pariser. ISBN 9781893643529.
3. Millán, Reinaldo (January 25, 2012). "Hacen justicia con héroes del Polvorín". La Perla del Sur (in Spanish) (Year 30, Issue 1469). Ponce, Puerto Rico. p. 22.
4. Hillinger, Charles (April 22, 1990). "Heroism of Firefighters Still Ignites Civic Pride". Los Angeles Times.

Coordinates: 18°00′40.6794″N 66°36′49.464″W / 18.011299833°N 66.61374000°W