Casa Blanca

Casa Blanca was built in 1521 for Juan Ponce de León, who died before he could move in, and his descendants then lived here for around two and a half centuries, and it is often described as the oldest continuously occupied residence in the Americas. It began as a fortified house, the island's first defensive structure, before the forts were built, and grew over the centuries into a rambling complex of thick walls and shaded rooms around courtyards. Later it housed Spanish and then American military commanders. The gardens step down toward the bay in terraces with fountains fed by an old spring, and they are among the quietest places in the old city.

History

Building began in 1521, after the capital moved from Caparra to the islet of San Juan, as the first fortification there and the intended home of Juan Ponce de León, who died after an expedition to Florida without ever living in it; the first house was of wood, and García Troche later completed a masonry one. It sheltered settlers during conflicts with the Taíno and hosted the talks with a commission of caciques that settled a brief uprising, served as the first governor's residence, and stayed the home of Ponce de León's descendants until the family sold it to the Spanish government in 1779, after which it housed military engineers and officers. In 1898, after the Spanish-American War, it passed to the United States military and housed the head of the Antillean Command; in 1939 colonel John W. Wright used WPA funds to remodel its roofs and add a terrace and balcony, and in 1967 it was transferred to the Puerto Rican government and designated a historical monument, now a museum run by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (Wikipedia, Casa Blanca (San Juan)).

What to look for

• The house itself - often described as the oldest continuously occupied residence in the Americas.
• The terraced gardens - stepping down toward the bay with old fountains.
• The period rooms - furnished to show sixteenth to nineteenth-century life.
• The views over the bay - from the terraces on the north side.

When to go

December to April is the comfortable season. The gardens are best in the morning, when they are shaded and cool. It closes on Mondays and some public holidays, and hours have changed after storm repairs, so check before walking up.

What to expect

The house has been closed for long stretches for repairs in recent years, sometimes with only the gardens open, so confirm before making the trip. Interpretation is limited and mostly in Spanish. It is a steep walk up from the waterfront.

Nearby

El Morro is five minutes uphill; the cathedral and Calle del Cristo are just east.