Central San Vicente

Central San Vicente was the first sugarcane refinery in Puerto Rico, established in 1873 by Leonardo Igaravidez at Vega Baja.

Central San Vicente
c.1897
Location of Central San Vicente
Country Puerto Rico
City Vega Baja
Coordinates18.444388°N 66.387672°W / 18.444388; -66.387672
Refinery details
Owner(s)L. Igaravidez (1873-1878)
José Gallart (1878-1896)
Rubert Hermanos (1896- )
San Vicente Inc. ( -1972)
Corp. Azucarera (1972)
Commissioned1873 (1873)
Decommissioned1967 (1967)

History

In 1850, Manuel Lopez Landron founded the Hacienda San Vicente. After his death, his widow married Leonardo Igaravidez Maldonado (Vega Alta, 1830-1888), marquis of Cabo Caribe, who bought the neighboring plantations of Felicidad, Santa Inés, Fe and Rosario. He bought French machinery that allowed integration of the sugarcane fabrication process into a fully mechanized production flow.[1][2] On January 30, 1872, a railroad opened for cane transport from the plantations to the Central.

In 1878, after its bankruptcy for a debt of more than 1 million pesos, the plant was bought by Jose Gallart. In 1880 four more Centrales operated in Puerto Rico: Luisa, San Francisco, Coloso and Canóvanas. In 1896, Gallart sold to Rubert Hermanos,[3] who owned four additional plants with the Compañía Fabián, changing its name to Central San Vicente, Inc. In 1935 it had a grinding capacity of 1.500 tons daily, growing to 5,600 tons at 1958. In 1952 it achieve its greatest production, grinding 71.280 tons.

San Vicente closed in 1967,[4] after it was sold to La Corporación Azucarera in 1972 who sold it off in pieces. Some of the machinery was sold to el ingenio la Grecia in Choluteca, Honduras.

The chimney was rebuilt in 1952. Its ruins include two fireplaces, part of an oven, a crane, brick and walls, tanks and parts of a "Farrel" steam engine. It is located in the carr. 688, of the Cabo Caribe neighborhood, Vega Baja.[5]

See also

References
  1. Ramos Mattei, Andrés A. Rutgers University (ed.). Las centrales olvidadas : Formación de capital y los cambios técnicos en la industria azucarera puertorriqueña 1873-1880. Retrieved 9 Sep 2017.
  2. Leslie Bethell (29 May 1986). The Cambridge History of Latin America. Cambridge University Press. pp. 202–. ISBN 978-0-521-23225-8.
  3. "De San Juan a Manatí, sigue la ruta arqueológica del norte". El Nuevo Día. 12 Aug 2012. Retrieved 9 Sep 2017.
  4. Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (ed.). "San Vicente, Vega Baja - Ruta de Caña". Enciclopedia de Puerto Rico. Retrieved 9 Sep 2017.
  5. Universidad Interamericana - Recinto Metro (ed.). "Central San Vicente, Vega Baja". Centrales Azucareras de Puerto Rico (1873-2007). Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 9 Sep 2017.

Bibliography
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