Mavilla Bridge
National Register of Historic Places

Mavilla Bridge

Corozal, Corozal County, Puerto Rico
Listed
July 18, 1995
Type
Structure
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
95000848

About this property

The Mavilla Bridge (Spanish: Puente de Mavilla), or Bridge 354, is located at kilometer 17.7 on Puerto Rico Highway 159 between Corozal and Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The bridge has maintained most of its original design and structure over the years. It was constructed in 1903 replacing a wooden bridge that had been at the location since 1853, and served as a road between Toa Alta and Bayamón municipalities, in the 19th century. Built in 1903, the bridge has not been altered much since its beginnings. Its construction cost $3,000 and 80 men worked on its construction under the direction of Roque Paniagua. In 1909, the contractor José García González added a concrete balustrade at a cost of $644. Its construction in 1903 eased transportation between Corozal and nearby towns of Toa Alta, Orocovis, Vega Alta and Naranjito. This is the oldest, concrete-lowered, arch bridge and one of the most attractive. The bridge span is 25.5 meters (84 ft) long and 4.6 meters (15 ft) wide. Its arch is 50 feet above the Mavilla River. Mavilla Bridge was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places list on July 19, 1995. There is a legend of a woman who lives around the Mavilla Bridge. In Diez de mis cuentos (Ten of My Stories), author Sixto Febus writes that one night, while returning from work, he picked up a woman from the side of the road who was standing near the Mavilla Bridge. He did not get a good look at her as she got into the back seat of his car. He tried making small talk with the woman but she did not talk until when she finally spoke, it was to ask she be dropped off at the cemetery. It was when she exited the car that he looked at her as she was walking away and noticed she was headless. List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Puerto Rico Patrimonio, vol. 4 (2012) - Revista oficial de la Oficina Estatal de Conservación Histórica - Obras de infraestructura Archived February 27, 2023, at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)

Location

Corozal, Corozal County, Puerto Rico
18.35199, -66.29728

Categories

ENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Church Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion y San Fernando of Toa Alta
Industrial
4.2 mi
Hacienda de Carlos Vassallo
Colonial
4.7 mi
Escuela Guillermo Esteves
Industrial
4.8 mi
Church Inmaculada Conception of Vega Alta
Civil War
4.8 mi
Ramirez, Dona Antonia, Residencia
Industrial
5.7 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Asomante (Aibonito Pass)
1898Frontier
14.8 mi
Battle of Aibonito
1898Frontier
14.8 mi
Naval Bombardment of San Juan (Puerto Rico)
1898Frontier
14.8 mi
Ponce de León Conquest of Puerto Rico 1508
1508Colonial
14.8 mi
Carib Raids on Puerto Rico 1514–1530
1514Colonial
14.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Mavilla Bridge listed on the National Register?

Mavilla Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 18, 1995.

What type of historic resource is Mavilla Bridge?

Mavilla Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Mavilla Bridge?

The period of significance for Mavilla Bridge is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1853.

Can I research the history near Mavilla Bridge?

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