Guayanilla barrio-pueblo is an urban barrio and the administrative center (seat) of Guayanilla, a municipality of Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 3,757.[1][4][5][6]
As was customary in Spain, in Puerto Rico, the municipality has a barrio called pueblo which contains a central plaza, the municipal buildings (city hall), and a Catholic church. Fiestas patronales (patron saint festivals) are held in the central plaza every year.[7][8]
Features and demographics
Guayanilla barrio-pueblo has .54 square miles (1.4 km2) of land area and no water area. In 2010, its population was 3,757 with a population density of 6,957.4 inhabitants per square mile (2,686.3/km2).
U.S. Decennial Census 1899 (shown as 1900)[9] 1910-1930[10] 1930-1950[11] 1980-2000[12] 2010[13]
The central plaza and its church
The central plaza, or square, is a place for official and unofficial recreational events and a place where people can gather and socialize from dusk to dawn. The Laws of the Indies, Spanish law, which regulated life in Puerto Rico in the early 19th century, stated the plaza's purpose was for "the parties" (celebrations, festivities) (Spanish: a propósito para las fiestas), and that the square should be proportionally large enough for the number of neighbors (Spanish: grandeza proporcionada al
número de vecinos). These Spanish regulations also stated that the streets nearby should be comfortable portals for passersby, protecting them from the elements: sun and rain.[7]
On January 7, 2020, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake destroyed the parish church and other structures in Guayanilla Pueblo. A day before, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake had destroyed various structures and cars.[18][19]
Gallery
The Guayanilla Catholic Church is seen standing before its destruction by an earthquake in 2020
