Inventory of Historic Churches of Puerto Rico

The Inventory of Historic Churches of Puerto Rico () is a thematic historic register of Roman Catholic church buildings in Puerto Rico curated by both the Puerto Rico Planning Board's () Register of Historic Sites and Zones (RNSZH) and the United States National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), submitted to the latter as a thematic multiple property submission (MPS) and approved on December 10, 1984. These churches were chosen for being exemplary of the Spanish Colonial urban planning practices of the 18th and 19th centuries as it was legally stipulated by the Law of the Indies.

Inventory-listed churches All the churches on the inventory were also added to the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones. Out of the 31 churches listed on the inventory, the submission of 24 were approved and listed on the federal National Register of Historic Places. +Church nameImageLocationBuiltArchitectNRHP Ref.San Carlos BorromeoAguadilla1783José Canovas84003124San JoséAibonito1887Pedro Cobreros84000451San Felipe ApóstolArecibo1846not statednot listedSanta CruzBayamón1772José Martínez de Matos84003162San FernandoCarolina1860Antonio Maria de Vizcarrando, Lorenzo Mongrand84003160Nuestra Señora de la AsunciónCayey1815José Canovas84000454San Blas de IllescasCoamo1661not stated84000463Our Lady of ValvaneraCoamo1685not stated86000700San Antonio de PaduaDorado1848not statednot listedSantiago ApóstolFajardo1776Pedro A. Beibal84003144Inmaculada ConcepciónGuayanilla1838not statednot listedSan JoséGurabo1821not stated84003142Nuestra Señora del CarmenHatillo1879Pedro A. Beibal84000443Dulce Nombre de JesúsHumacao1869Evaristo de Churruca84003140San Ramón NonatoJuana Díaz1807not stated84000465Inmaculada ConcepciónJuncos1827not statednot listedSan JoséLares1881Ramón Soler (reconstruction)not listedNuestra Señora de la CandelariaManatí1864Ramón Soler (reconstruction)84003130Nuestra Señora de la CandelariaMayagüez1763Luis Perociernot listedSan Juan BautistaMaricao1890Jeronimo Jiminez Coranado84003125Nuestra Señora de la MonserrateMoca1841not statednot listedNuestra Señora del RosarioNaguabo1856Mariano Bosch (reconstruction)84000456Nuestra Señora de GuadalupePonce1839Francisco Porrata-Doría (reconstruction)84000467San Isidro LabradorSabana Grande1844not stated84000460San Germán de AuxerreSan Germán1688Jean Puig84000461San Sebastián MártirSan Sebastián1895Pedro Cobreros84003132San Mateo de CangrejosSan Juan1832Pedro Cobreros85000044San FernandoToa Alta1752not stated84003158San Miguel ArcángelUtuado1872not stated84000447Inmaculada ConcepciónVega Alta1831Jose Hernandez Costa84003128Santa María del RosarioVega Baja1860Antonio María Guitián84003133

Other historic churches Other historic Roman Catholic churches that also follow the relevant Law of the Indies parameters and have also been included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and/or the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones (RNSZH) albeit not under this multiple property submission include:

Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen), the town parish of Arroyo built in 1855 and listed as a contributing property of the Arroyo Historic Zone on the RNSZH in 1997. Cathedral of the Sweet Name of Jesus (Catedral Dulce Nombre de Jesús), the cathedral of Caguas built in 1645 and listed as a contributing property of the Caguas Historic Zone on the RNSZH in 1996. San Antonio de Padua Church (Iglesia de San Antonio de Padua), the town parish of Guayama built in 1874, inscribed on the NRHP in 1976 and,"Department of the Interior, Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service: National Register of Historic Places; Annual Listing of Historic Properties", 44 FR 7416 (February 6, 1979), at p. 7581. as part of the Guayama Historic Zone, on the RNSZH in 1992. San Pedro Mártir Church (Iglesia de San Pedro Mártir), the town parish of Guaynabo built in 1750, and listed on the NRHP since 1976 and on the RNSZH since 2000. Basilica of the Our Lady of Monserrat (Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Monserrate), the town parish church of Hormigueros built in the 19th-century, a Marian shrine since 1994 and a minor basilica since 1998, inscribed on the NRHP in 1975, and on the RNSZH in 2000. Church of the Holy Spirit and Saint Patrick (Iglesia del Espíritu Santo y San Patricio), the town parish church of Loíza built in 1729, and listed on the NRHP in 1976"Department of the Interior, Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service: National Register of Historic Places; Annual Listing of Historic Properties", (February 6, 1979), at p. 7581. and on the RNSZ since 2000. Church of Our Lady of the Rosary (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario), the town parish of Naguabo built in 1856, and listed on the NRHP in 1984, and on the RNSZ since 2003. Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist (Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de San Juan Bautista), the cathedral of San Juan, the first purpose-built cathedral in the Americas, technically built in 1535 before the establishment of the Law of the Indies (1573) and therefore not located in the main town square (Plaza de Armas) of the city. Listed as a contributing property of the Old San Juan National Historic Landmark District on the NRHP since 1972, and on the RNSZH since 2000. Las Mercedes Church (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes), the town parish of San Lorenzo built in 1887, and listed on the NRHP since 1983, and on the RNSZ since 2000. San Pedro Apostol Church (Iglesia de San Pedro Apostol), the town parish of Toa Baja built in 1750, and listed on the NRHP since 1975, and on the RNSZH since 2000. Church of the Holy Rosary (Iglesia del Santísimo Rosario), the town parish of Yauco built in 1930 on the site of the former parish built in 1849, and listed as a contributing property of the Yauco Historic Zone on the RNSZH in 2022.

See also History of urban planning Law of the Indies Pueblos in Puerto Rico

References

External links Puerto Rico State Historic Preservation Office