Fernando Luis Toro Home
Encyclopedia
Casa Fernando Luis Toro is a historic house in Ponce, Puerto Rico
. The house is unique in that it is located in the first upper-class suburban development ever built in Puerto Rico. Today, La Alhambra has been designed part of Ponce's historic district
. The house dates to 1927 and was designed by the famed Puerto Rican architect Francisco Porrata Doria
. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
since March 5, 1986, as Fernando Luis Toro Casa. It is also known as Casa Chavier.
The house was sold by its original owners in the early 1970s to Mr. Jorge Chavier and his wife Ms. Hilda de Lis who still occupy the house.
, a well-known architect from Ponce. The house is located in the La Alhambra sector of the city, a well-to-do area developed in the early twentieth century. La Alhambra was the first upper-class suburban development in Puerto Rico. Today, La Alhambra has been designated part of Ponce's historic district
.
and West Palm Beach, Florida
. The house, for example, is located in a large lot, surrounded by presumptious landscaping.
The property is one of three adjoining properties that belong to three wealthy brothers. The three residences are connected at their backyards. An elegant front concrete wall serves as a common fence.
The most outstanding feature of the interior is the core location of the living room. While most of the floors are wooden, the terrace and the dining room have mosaic-tiled floors. The kitchen, service hall, and pantry have local tiles of various colors and designs.
The combination of eclectic architectural elements displayed in this house make it one of the better examples of the designs of the locally well-known architect Francisco Porrata Doria. His distinct style was based on the integration of diverse architectural influences such as: Victorian
, Georgian
, Neo-classic
, academic Beaux Arts, Spanish Revival and Catalonian Modernism (from Cataluña, Spain
; an area of Barcelona). Architect Porrata Doria is responsible for the design of some of the most important buildings in Ponce, of which the Fox Delicias Theater and the Banco de Ponce
facing the town square, are among his best projects.
Significant representations of early 20th century design concepts implemented in Ponce architecture are the Toro residence's "L" shaped balcony, the use of tile, mosaic, stained glass, and the emphasis placed on the dining room within the organizing scheme.
his only prophet."
On the South end of the West wing is the formal dining room. The main ornaments of this space are a pair of twin windows with arched transoms of stained glass and four deep ceiling wood beams with ornate brackets supporting them at each end. The remainder of the West wing houses the service and semi-public areas of the house such as: the pantry, a breakfast room, the kitchen, a service patio, and the maid's quarters (presently an office). The East extension of the plan contains three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a drawing room, and an office space with a private entrance.
Even though most of the house has wooden flooring, the dining room and enclosed terrace have extraordinary mosaic floors. The kitchen, service corridor, and pantry have multi-colored cement tile of varying patterns.
The exterior, although sober, is elegant. Cast-in-place, bas-relief flower motifs are found on the dining room area exterior facade and general cornice line. Red, curved clay tiles cover the "L" shaped balcony and provide the white facade with color. Ten sets of double columns with a shared capital are located on the "maenianum" style balcony railing and act as supports for the balcony roof. Geometrical-shaped head moldings surround all exterior doors and windows for decorative purposes as well as partial weather protection.
To the East of the main house there is a formal garden with a fountain located at its center. Four large classical urn
s provide focal points at diagonal locations to the fountain, and paved, patterned walkways provide varied pedestrian connections between the spaces. Other structures on the site are a coach house or garage, recently turned into an apartment, a cistern
tower, and a storage hut
.
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
. The house is unique in that it is located in the first upper-class suburban development ever built in Puerto Rico. Today, La Alhambra has been designed part of Ponce's historic district
Ponce Historic Zone
The Ponce Historic Zone is a historic district in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico with construction that dates to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The zone was originally designated in 1962, and then it only included the center core of the city, but it has since been expanded to...
. The house dates to 1927 and was designed by the famed Puerto Rican architect Francisco Porrata Doria
Francisco Porrata Doria
Francisco Porrata-Doria was a twentieth-century Puerto Rican architect from Ponce, Puerto Rico. Porrata-Doria was a pioneer in the development of the local modern architecture and one of the architects responsible for what has been called "Ponce Monumental Architecture", of which the Banco Crédito...
. It was listed in 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...
since March 5, 1986, as Fernando Luis Toro Casa. It is also known as Casa Chavier.
The house was sold by its original owners in the early 1970s to Mr. Jorge Chavier and his wife Ms. Hilda de Lis who still occupy the house.
History
The house was built in 1927. It was designed by Francisco Porrata DoriaFrancisco Porrata Doria
Francisco Porrata-Doria was a twentieth-century Puerto Rican architect from Ponce, Puerto Rico. Porrata-Doria was a pioneer in the development of the local modern architecture and one of the architects responsible for what has been called "Ponce Monumental Architecture", of which the Banco Crédito...
, a well-known architect from Ponce. The house is located in the La Alhambra sector of the city, a well-to-do area developed in the early twentieth century. La Alhambra was the first upper-class suburban development in Puerto Rico. Today, La Alhambra has been designated part of Ponce's historic district
Ponce Historic Zone
The Ponce Historic Zone is a historic district in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico with construction that dates to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The zone was originally designated in 1962, and then it only included the center core of the city, but it has since been expanded to...
.
Architecture
The house draws from architectural designs commonly seen in Coral GablesCoral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
and West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
. The house, for example, is located in a large lot, surrounded by presumptious landscaping.
The property is one of three adjoining properties that belong to three wealthy brothers. The three residences are connected at their backyards. An elegant front concrete wall serves as a common fence.
The most outstanding feature of the interior is the core location of the living room. While most of the floors are wooden, the terrace and the dining room have mosaic-tiled floors. The kitchen, service hall, and pantry have local tiles of various colors and designs.
Significance
The Toro residence is located in an elegant residential area of Ponce called La Alhambra. This was the first large, upper class suburban expansion developed in Puerto Rico in the early 1900s. Much in the style of Coral Gables and West Palm Beach in Florida, residences were sited on unusually large lots which allowed for elaborate and formal landscaping.The combination of eclectic architectural elements displayed in this house make it one of the better examples of the designs of the locally well-known architect Francisco Porrata Doria. His distinct style was based on the integration of diverse architectural influences such as: Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
, Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
, Neo-classic
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
, academic Beaux Arts, Spanish Revival and Catalonian Modernism (from Cataluña, Spain
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
; an area of Barcelona). Architect Porrata Doria is responsible for the design of some of the most important buildings in Ponce, of which the Fox Delicias Theater and the Banco de Ponce
Banco de Ponce (building)
The Banco de Ponce building, a historic building in Ponce, Puerto Rico, was the first and main office of Banco de Ponce until the company merged with Banco Popular in 1990. Though its headquarters had moved to a presumptous building in Hato Rey's Milla de Oro by then, Banco de Ponce continued to...
facing the town square, are among his best projects.
Significant representations of early 20th century design concepts implemented in Ponce architecture are the Toro residence's "L" shaped balcony, the use of tile, mosaic, stained glass, and the emphasis placed on the dining room within the organizing scheme.
Physical appearance
Constructed of reinforced concrete, the Toro residence was designed and built in 1927 for Mr. Fernando Luis Toro by architect Francisco Porrata Doria, a locally prominent designer. The residence is one of three properties, with connecting patios, belonging to three brothers. The "U" shaped floor plan exhibits a perpendicular extension towards the East. Most important to the spatial distribution is the centrally located living room. Off this main space, six composite doors with arched transoms of stained glass lead into adjacent interior corridors on both sides. Two doors lead to the balcony. On the North side of this space, is the most ornamented doorway of Georgian decoration which is flanked by a set of doric pilasters crowned by a cornice. The hung ceiling of the living room is detailed in a pentagonal pattern of thin wooden slats. The North doorway leads into the enclosed terrace whose back wall is angled in four sections. At the intersection of these angles, there is a set of double columns. Colored glass provides the space with diffused light. A high-glazed ceramic tile wainscot of elaborate patterns contains the inscription in Arabic: "God is Allah and MuhammadMuhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
his only prophet."
On the South end of the West wing is the formal dining room. The main ornaments of this space are a pair of twin windows with arched transoms of stained glass and four deep ceiling wood beams with ornate brackets supporting them at each end. The remainder of the West wing houses the service and semi-public areas of the house such as: the pantry, a breakfast room, the kitchen, a service patio, and the maid's quarters (presently an office). The East extension of the plan contains three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a drawing room, and an office space with a private entrance.
Even though most of the house has wooden flooring, the dining room and enclosed terrace have extraordinary mosaic floors. The kitchen, service corridor, and pantry have multi-colored cement tile of varying patterns.
The exterior, although sober, is elegant. Cast-in-place, bas-relief flower motifs are found on the dining room area exterior facade and general cornice line. Red, curved clay tiles cover the "L" shaped balcony and provide the white facade with color. Ten sets of double columns with a shared capital are located on the "maenianum" style balcony railing and act as supports for the balcony roof. Geometrical-shaped head moldings surround all exterior doors and windows for decorative purposes as well as partial weather protection.
To the East of the main house there is a formal garden with a fountain located at its center. Four large classical urn
Urn
An urn is a vase, ordinarily covered, that usually has a narrowed neck above a footed pedestal. "Knife urns" placed on pedestals flanking a dining-room sideboard were an English innovation for high-style dining rooms of the late 1760s...
s provide focal points at diagonal locations to the fountain, and paved, patterned walkways provide varied pedestrian connections between the spaces. Other structures on the site are a coach house or garage, recently turned into an apartment, a cistern
Cistern
A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
tower, and a storage hut
Hut
Hut may refer to:*Hut , a small and crude shelter*Hans Hut , Anabaptist leader*Hut Records, an English audio records company*Sunglass Hut International, largest American retailer of sunglasses...
.
See also
- Benitez, Marimar. "El Colegio de Arquitectos, Ahora en Ponce". Periodico "El Reportero". Seccion Viva. July 20, 1985. (In Spanish)