Playa Grande
By Liro Marquez
Partially hidden in the abundant vegetation lies one the most valuable cultural jewels of the Caribbean region: Central Playa Grande, dating from around 1860. This sugarcane mill, built of bricks, concrete and iron operated from the second half of the 19th Century until 1941, when it was expropriated by the US Navy.
Its history is the history of Vieques–not just that of the wealthy land- owner families, such as the Hjardemaal, Benítez, tió, among others, but also the history of the working class and campesino families that had to sweat their livelihood every day to sustain the Viequense sugarcane economy.
The Central’s impressive and beautiful ruins, although abandoned for over half a century, can be rescued to become an important landmark, an asset to Vieques’ cultural-educational tourism plans.
Central Playa Grande has been listed in the national Register of Historic Places since 1992; it was also listed as a Puerto Rican historical site in the year 2000, when many federally protected properties were incorporated into the local registry. Its ruins have never been studied and are currently being subject to vandalism, brick theft and deterioration caused by invasive vegetation.
Every two weeks in the winter season, Anthony, a passionate amateur historian, guides tours of this fascinating area that is slowly disintegrating in the Western forests of Vieques. Participants meet at the Trust for a short orientation program and then car pool to explore the site under Anthony’s guidance. The Tour begins at 9 am. Please wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes, and bring your camera and some bug spray. Tours are usually every two weeks on Thursday mornings.
Please view our Events Calendar for Tour Schedules.
For reservations and information, contact the Trust at 787 741 8850 or email vcht@hughes.net.
Centrale Playa Grande
By Lirio Marquez
Semi-oculta entre la abundante vegetación tropical se encuentra una de las joyas culturales más importantes de su clase en toda la región del Caribe: la Central Playa grande, que data de alrededor de 1860. esta central azucarera construida en ladrillos, hormigón, hierro y acero estuvo en producción desde la segunda mitad del siglo XiX hasta su última molienda en el 1941, cuando fue expropiada por la marina de guerra de los estados unidos.
Su historia es la historia de Vieques – no sólo la de las familias hacendadas y jadineradas como los Hjardemaal, Benítez, tió, entre otras, sino la de aquellas familias trabajadoras que día tras día sudaban su sustento en la economía cañera viequense.
sus impresionantes y hermosas ruinas, aunque abandonadas por más de medio siglo, son rescatables y pueden constituir un hito importante en el turismo cultural-educativo de Vieques.
La Central Playa grande está incluida en el Registro Federal de Lugares históricos(National Register of Historic Places) desde 1992 y es considerada sitio histórico desde 2000, cuando se incorporaron numerosas propiedades protegidas por ley federal a los registros estatales. sus ruinas nunca han sido estudiadas y actualmente se encuentran susceptibles a vandalismo, robo de ladrillos y destrucción causada por la vegetación invasiva.del lugar histórico, su potencial y las necesidades para su conservación.
