Central Guánica was a sugar mill located in
Ensenada Barrio in the municipality of
Guánica, Puerto Rico
Guánica (, ) is a Guánica barrio-pueblo, town and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in southern Puerto Rico, bordering the Caribbean Sea, south of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico, Sabana Grande, east of Lajas, Puerto Rico, Lajas, and west ...
. It was one of the largest
sugar mills
A sugar cane mill is a factory that processes sugar cane to produce raw sugar or plantation white sugar. Some sugar mills are situated next to a back-end refinery, that turns raw sugar into (refined) white sugar.
The term is also used to refer ...
in the
Caribbean
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
, and until
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, it was one of the largest mills in the world.
It ceased operations in 1982.
History
Its owners, the
South Puerto Rico Sugar Company
The South Puerto Rico Sugar Company (SPRSCO) was a multinational corporation based in New York. Founded in 1900, it operated in Puerto Rico from 1901 and in the Dominican Republic from 1910.
History
The company was incorporated on November 15, ...
of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, began construction of the Central Guánica sugar mill in 1901. A
company town
A company town is a place where all or most of the stores and housing in the town are owned by the same company that is also the main employer. Company towns are often planned with a suite of amenities such as stores, houses of worship, schoo ...
, which included a hospital, school, and housing facilities was organized around the sugar mill.
In 1967, South Puerto Rico Sugar Company was acquired by
Gulf and Western Industries
Gulf and Western Industries, Inc. (stylized as Gulf+Western) was an American conglomerate. The company originally focused on manufacturing and resource extraction, but it began purchasing a number of entertainment companies beginning in 1966 ...
, which later sold the sugar mill during the 1970s.
In 2002, the government of Puerto Rico declared the two chimneys of the sugar mill as historic monuments.
Gallery
File:South PR Sugar Co.jpg, South Puerto Rico Sugar Company common stock certificate
File:Carloads of sugar cane.jpg, Carloads of sugar cane at the mill (1942)
File:Freight train used in hauling cane.jpg, Freight train used in hauling cane to the mill from loading stations (1942)
File:Sugar cane worker.jpg, Sugar cane worker in the vicinity of Guánica, Puerto Rico (1942)
File:Inside central.jpg, Inside the mill (circa 1910 and 1935)
See also
*
Central Coloso
Central Coloso, also known as Coloso Sugar Cane Refinery, was a long-running sugarcane refinery in Aguada, Puerto Rico, Aguada, Puerto Rico. The Sugar refinery, refinery was established in late 19th century becoming one of the biggest sugar empor ...
*
Central Cortada
*
Central San Vicente
References
External links
Sugar refineries
Guánica, Puerto Rico
Sugar industry of Puerto Rico
1901 establishments in Puerto Rico
1982 disestablishments in the United States
Industrial buildings completed in 1901
Industrial buildings and structures in Puerto Rico
Gulf and Western Industries
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