Francisco Porrata Doria
Encyclopedia
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
is a good example.
, mayor of Ponce in 1898, and Ana Gutierre de Pando. He grew up and was raised in Ponce. In 1909 he graduated from Ponce High School
.
where graduated with a degree in civil engineering and, in the summer of 1912 he took advanced architectural coursework at Columbia University
, receiving a certificate in architecture.
.
. They had two children, Francisco Carlos Porrata-Doria Armstrong and José Luis Porrata-Doria Armstrong, both of who became physicians.
He remarried in 1939, after the death of his wife the previous year. His second wife was Gloria de la Pila Valdecilla, daughter of Dr. Manuel de la Pila Iglesias
. They had two children, Manuel Luis Porrata-Doria de la Pila, an engineer, and Arturo Francisco Porrata-Doria de la Pila, a lawyer.
, Peñuelas, and Villalba
.
Among Porrata-Doria's works are Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño
, the Ponce Cathedral
(whose 1932 fascade is Porrata's design), Banco de Ponce
, and the Fernando Luis Toro Home
. All of these are also listed in the National Register of Historic Places
. Also by Porrata Doria is the Gomez Residence
, also listed in the NRHP. Porrata Doria's works are exhibited at the Museum of Puerto Rican Architecture
.
He also designed the famed Teatro Fox Delicias
(today a hotel), the Hotel Meliá (still in operation), the El Cometa Building (today headquarters of the Ponce Municipal Assembly, next to city hall
), the San Lucas Hospital (on Guadalupe street) and the Dr. Pila Clinic (now an apartment building). He also designed the Mario Mercado Castle
, atop a hill in Guayanilla. In addition, and also surrounding plaza Las Delicias, Porrata-Doria designed the Forteza Building (previously occupied by the Bella Hess Stores and now home to the PUCPR-School of Architecture
) and the Gonzalez Building, long-time home of Farmacias Gonzalez and today a mixed-commercial location.
From 1942 to 1956 he worked as official architect for the engineering division of the Autoridad de Fuentes Fluviales (Pluvial Fountains Authority), today the Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica (Electric Power Authority). During this time he also designed a church in Hato Rey, and the home residence of Antonio S. Luchetti
, the director of the Authority. This last one, commissioned by the government of Puerto Rico, caused so much public criticism that the home was sold without Luchetti ever living it.
(first a department store, then a drugstore, and now occupied by the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture
), the clinic of Dr. Fernández García and his last two churches. During his last years, Porrata Doria developed a hobby: he designed homes without any plan or intention to have them built. He died in Ponce on 2 September 1971 at the age of 81.
, the Ponce Rotary Club, the Council of the Knights of Columbus
, the Casino de Ponce
, the Centro Español de Ponce and the Club Deportivo de Ponce.
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
from Ponce, Puerto Rico
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...
. 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
Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño (building)
The Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño building , a historic building in Ponce, Puerto Rico, was the first and main office of the famed Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño , and represents one of the last examples of the once popular turn-of-the-century eclectic architecture. The building was listed on the...
is a good example.
Early years
Francisco Luis Porrata-Doria Gutierre de Pando was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on 4 May 1890. His parents were Luis Porrata-DoriaLuis Porrata Doria
Luis Porrata Doria was Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico in 1899. He is best remembered for his forced resignation as mayor following his municipal government’s poor response to the catastrophic Category 5 San Ciriaco hurricane that occurred during his administration.-Circumstances leading to Porrata...
, mayor of Ponce in 1898, and Ana Gutierre de Pando. He grew up and was raised in Ponce. In 1909 he graduated from Ponce High School
Ponce High School
The Ponce High School is public educational institution in Ponce, Puerto Rico, offering grades ten through twelve. The school's main building is a historic structure located on Cristina Street, in the Ponce Historic Zone. From its beginning the school has secured a unique place in Puerto Rico's...
.
Training
In 1909 he enrolled at Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
where graduated with a degree in civil engineering and, in the summer of 1912 he took advanced architectural coursework at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, receiving a certificate in architecture.
Director of Public Works
Returning to Puerto Rico, Porrata-Doria became director of Public Works for the Municiplaity of Ponce from 1912 to 1916. His most imporant public work at the time was Plaza DegetauPlaza Las Delicias
Plaza Las Delicias is the main plaza in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The square is notable for its fountains and for the various monuments it contains. The historic Parque de Bombas and Ponce Cathedral buildings are located within Plaza Las Delicias. Plaza Las Delicias is actually composed of...
.
Personal life
In 1915 he married Isabel Armstrong Pou, daughter of Carlos ArmstrongArmstrong-Poventud Residence
Residencia Armstrong-Poventud is a historic building located in the Ponce Historic Zone in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The construction of this home set the stage for the construction of other homes of similar architectural elements, character and opulence in turn-of-the-twentieth-century Ponce...
. They had two children, Francisco Carlos Porrata-Doria Armstrong and José Luis Porrata-Doria Armstrong, both of who became physicians.
He remarried in 1939, after the death of his wife the previous year. His second wife was Gloria de la Pila Valdecilla, daughter of Dr. Manuel de la Pila Iglesias
Manuel De la Pila Iglesias
Dr. Manuel de la Pila Iglesias was a Puerto Rican physician practicing in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He was a physician who specialized in a half-dozen medical specialities. He founded a medical clinic in Ponce that grew into a large medical center. Dr. Manuel de la Pila Iglesias is considered "one of...
. They had two children, Manuel Luis Porrata-Doria de la Pila, an engineer, and Arturo Francisco Porrata-Doria de la Pila, a lawyer.
Private practice
From 1916 to 1935, Porrata-Doria practiced as an engineer and architect in Ponce. During this time, Porrata Doria designed 12 of his 15 churches as well as numerous prestigious homes. Among these churches where those in the towns of Barranquitas, Jayuya, Maunabo, PatillasPatillas, Puerto Rico
Patillas is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the southeastern coast, south of San Lorenzo; west of Yabucoa and Maunabo; and east of Guayama and Arroyo. It is spread over 15 wards and Patillas Pueblo...
, Peñuelas, and Villalba
Villalba, Puerto Rico
Villalba is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region, northeast of Juana Díaz; south of Orocovis; and west of Coamo. Villalba is spread over 6 wards and Villalba Pueblo...
.
Among Porrata-Doria's works are Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño
Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño (building)
The Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño building , a historic building in Ponce, Puerto Rico, was the first and main office of the famed Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño , and represents one of the last examples of the once popular turn-of-the-century eclectic architecture. The building was listed on the...
, the Ponce Cathedral
Ponce Cathedral
The Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe or simply, Ponce Cathedral, is the cathedral for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ponce located in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico. The cathedral lies in the middle of Ponce's town square, known as Plaza Las Delicias, located at the center of the Ponce Historic...
(whose 1932 fascade is Porrata's design), 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...
, and the Fernando Luis Toro Home
Fernando Luis Toro Home
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...
. All of these are also 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...
. Also by Porrata Doria is the Gomez Residence
Gomez Residencia (Mayaguez, Puerto Rico)
The Gómez Residencia in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico was built in 1933. It was designed by architect Francisco Porrata Doria in a Mission/Spanish Revival, Neo-Andalusi style. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.-References:...
, also listed in the NRHP. Porrata Doria's works are exhibited at the Museum of Puerto Rican Architecture
Casa Wiechers-Villaronga
The Casa Wiechers-Villaronga is a Neo-classical style mansion in Ponce, Puerto Rico designed and built in the early twentieth century. The house was acquired and restored by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and now operates as the Museum of Puerto Rican Architecture. The house sits in the...
.
He also designed the famed Teatro Fox Delicias
Teatro Fox Delicias
Teatro Fox Delicias is a historic building in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Inaugurated in 1931, it originally housed a movie house until 1980, then a shopping mall until 1998, and today it is reconfigured to be used as a hotel. Its architecture is Art Deco....
(today a hotel), the Hotel Meliá (still in operation), the El Cometa Building (today headquarters of the Ponce Municipal Assembly, next to city hall
Ponce City Hall
The Ponce City Hall is located on Calle Degetau, across from Plaza Las Delicias in the Ponce Historic Zone in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The building serves as the seat of the executive branch of government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce, including the office of the Mayor of Ponce. It is the...
), the San Lucas Hospital (on Guadalupe street) and the Dr. Pila Clinic (now an apartment building). He also designed the Mario Mercado Castle
Serralles Castle
Serrallés Castle is a mansion located in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico overlooking the downtown area . It was built during the 1920s by Juan Eugenio Serrallés, son of businessman Juan Serrallés, founder of Destilería Serrallés...
, atop a hill in Guayanilla. In addition, and also surrounding plaza Las Delicias, Porrata-Doria designed the Forteza Building (previously occupied by the Bella Hess Stores and now home to the PUCPR-School of Architecture
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture
The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture is located in the Ponce Historic Zone, across from Plaza Las Delicias. Together with the School of Law, it is one of two semi-autonomous professional colleges of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in the city...
) and the Gonzalez Building, long-time home of Farmacias Gonzalez and today a mixed-commercial location.
Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration
In 1936 Porrata-Doria became project engineer for the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration. He was also consulting engineer for the city of Ponce. He participated in the design and rebuilding of Teatro La Perla, the Ponce Public Library, and the Abraham Lincoln and José Celso Barbosa elementary schools.From 1942 to 1956 he worked as official architect for the engineering division of the Autoridad de Fuentes Fluviales (Pluvial Fountains Authority), today the Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica (Electric Power Authority). During this time he also designed a church in Hato Rey, and the home residence of Antonio S. Luchetti
Antonio S. Luchetti
Antonio S. Luchetti was a Puerto Rican engineer and dedicated public servant, through whom comprehensive electric service was established in Puerto Rico via the Puerto Rico Water Resources Authority and, later, via the public electric company, Fuentes Fluviales.Luchetti was instrumental in...
, the director of the Authority. This last one, commissioned by the government of Puerto Rico, caused so much public criticism that the home was sold without Luchetti ever living it.
Last years and death
In 1966, Porrata-Doria left public service and returns to private practice once again. During this second period in the private sector, he designed many luxurious homes, the González y Compañía building across from Parque de BombasParque de Bombas
Parque de Bombas is a historic firehouse building in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is one of Puerto Rico's most notable buildings, with some considering it "by far the most easily recognized landmark in the Island". It is located at the Plaza Las Delicias town square, directly behind the Ponce Cathedral...
(first a department store, then a drugstore, and now occupied by the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture
The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture is located in the Ponce Historic Zone, across from Plaza Las Delicias. Together with the School of Law, it is one of two semi-autonomous professional colleges of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in the city...
), the clinic of Dr. Fernández García and his last two churches. During his last years, Porrata Doria developed a hobby: he designed homes without any plan or intention to have them built. He died in Ponce on 2 September 1971 at the age of 81.
Memberships, etc.
Porrata Doria was a fervent Catholic. He was also a civic leader, and president of the Ponce School Board. He was a founding member of the Colegio Ponceño de VaronesColegio Ponceño
Colegio Ponceño is a Roman Catholic, Piarist, pre K-12 preparatory school located in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The institution "has been recognized by the College Board as the best among public and private schools in Puerto Rico during the last 14 years." It has been regarded as the "most prestigious...
, the Ponce Rotary Club, the Council of the Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
, the Casino de Ponce
Old Ponce Casino
The Antiguo Casino de Ponce , or simply the Casino de Ponce, is a historic structure, built in 1922 and located in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Originally built as a social club for Ponce's elite, it is currently used as the premier reception center of "The Noble City of Puerto Rico"...
, the Centro Español de Ponce and the Club Deportivo de Ponce.
Legacy
His contributions earned him a place at the Tricentennial Park where one of its three plaza is named after him.See also
- “Francisco L. Porrata-Doria Pando, su vida y su obra (1890-1971)”. By Mildred González Valentín y Samuel Pérez. A manuscript written in 1990, but still unpublished.
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- Alfredo Wiechers
- Blas Silva