Roosevelt Tower

University of Puerto Rico Roosevelt Tower and Quadrangle
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Puerto Rico Historic Sites and Zones
University of Puerto Rico Tower
Location	University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus - Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
Coordinates	18°24′10″N 66°03′01″W
Built	1937
Architect	Rafael Carmoega, William Schimmelpfenning
Architectural style	Spanish Revival
NRHP reference No.	84003174[1]
RNSZH No.	2000-(RMSJ)-00-JP-SH
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	May 17, 1984
Designated RNSZH	February 3, 2000

Roosevelt Tower (officially: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Tower, Spanish: Torre Franklin Delano Roosevelt), more popularly known as La Torre, is a 173.54 feet (52.89 m)[2] clock tower located above the main entrance to the Baldorioty de Castro Building in the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. The tower is also referred to as El Faro (The Lighthouse) and it is considered a symbol of the University of Puerto Rico and of higher education in Puerto Rico.[3] The tower, along with the main historic quadrangle in campus, have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984,[4] and on the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones since 2000.[5]

History

The building where the tower is located was originally one of the main libraries in campus. Based on the 1924 Parsons Plan, the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration (PRRA) hired Puerto Rican architect Rafael Carmoega to design a clock tower for campus. Carmoega also designed the main campus quadrangle located next to the tower. The exterior plans were designed by William Schimmelpfennig whose design followed similar patterns of American university campus towers. Other architects considered for the project were William E. Parsons and Joseph J. O’Kelly. The tower was built in 1937 and its exterior design, inspired in and following Andalusian/Spanish Gothic and Baroque Revival patterns, was completed by 1939. Once completed the tower was inaugurated and named after then incumbent US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to honor his interest and funding in the development of the university. The university theater, completed during this time, also bears the name Roosevelt Theater, although it is named after Eleanor Roosevelt.[6]

Carillon

The tower has a carillon built by the company Deagan. The carillon was out of service for multiple years until it was re-installed by IT Verdin Bells & Clocks. It contains 25 tubular bells; those give the notes from the central “C” to the “C” of the next second octave in bells. There are two octaves in bells. It is programmed in blocks of 7 melodies. The system consists of a 25-pound hammer that is moved by an electromechanical system, the note is given below, the electromechanical system is activated above and with some springs it returns to its position. It follows the Westminster Tracking Hour System. In addition to giving time, the carillon also often plays pieces by famous Latin American composers such as Rafael Hernández and Agustín Lara.[3]

Culture

La Torre is often referred to as El Faro del Saber ("The Lighthouse of Knowledge"), or simply El Faro, as it was instantly recognized as a landmark and symbol of the University of Puerto Rico, in addition to being the first university building of its type to be built in Latin America.[6][7]

Gallery

• 
  Side closeup of tower
• 
  Closeup of the tower designs with the seals of Harvard University and the National University of San Marcos next to the one of the University of Puerto Rico
• 
  Monument to the Pan-American movement, located inside
• 
  Underneath the tower
• 
  Tower as seen from the main entrance gate of campus
• 
  Aerial view of the tower and the Baldorioty de Castro Building

See also

• University and college buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. "Torre Franklin Delano Roosevelt". Emporis. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021.
3. "La Torre UPR: el faro de Puerto Rico – Universidad de Puerto Rico" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-12-10.
4. "NPGallery Asset Detail". npgallery.nps.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
5. GOBIERNO DE PUERTO RICO, JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO (December 7, 2022). "REGISTRO DE PROPIEDADES DESIGNADAS POR LA JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO" (PDF). jp.pr.gov.
6. Oficina del Registrador, UPR. "Una mirada a las primeras décadas de la Universidad" (PDF). uprrp.edu.
7. migbarreto (2014-08-05). "Cinco cosas que no sabías de la Torre de la UPR". BIBLIOTECA ADMINISTRACIÓN DE EMPRESAS (BAE) (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-12-10.