San Juan

https://www.nps.gov/saju/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Juan_National_Historic_Site San Juan National Historic Site (Spanish: Sitio Histórico Nacional de San Juan) in the Old San Juan section of San Juan, Puerto Rico, protects and interprets colonial-era forts such as Castillo San Felipe del Morro, bastions, powder houses, and three fourths of the old city wall. San Juan National Historic Site preserves stories of great ambition and aspirations. Countries fought for control of this tiny yet strategic island for centuries. Generations of soldiers have lived and worked within the forts. Visitors today are as inspired by these stories as they are by the beauty of the architecture and the ingenuity of design and engineering of this World Heritage Site. From Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport - Get on Expreso Román Baldorioty de Castro/PR-26 from Av. Aeropuerto - Merge onto Expreso Román Baldorioty de Castro/PR-26 - Follow Avenida Luis Muñoz Rivera to Calle Norzagaray, Old San Juan San Juan NHS Visitor Center Located at Castillo San Cristobal right before entrance to Old San Juan Visitor Center is closed during the pandemic. From Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport SJU Av. Aeropuerto, Carolina, 00979, Puerto Rico Get on Expreso Román Baldorioty de Castro/PR-26 from Av. Aeropuerto and Marginal Aeropuerto 4 min (2.5 km) Merge onto Expreso Román Baldorioty de Castro/PR-26 6 min (7.3 km) Follow Avenida Luis Muñoz Rivera and Calle Norzagaray to your destination Castillo San Felipe del Morro Aereal View Castillo San Felipe del Morro Aereal View Castillo San Felipe del Morro Aereal View Castillo San Cristobal Aereal View Castillo San Cristobal Aereal View Castillo San Cristobal Aereal View San Juan National Historic Site Hosts Re-enlistment Ceremony The San Juan National Historic Site serves as a place where many men and women have demonstrated their commitment, courage and honor to their country. The third level of Castillo San Cristobal was the selected area where Army Specialist (SPC) Samuel Meade took his re-enlistment oath to serve in the US Army for an additional three years. Man in US Army uniform with flags waving behind him looks out from atop a stone fort. Uniforms for the Caribbean Did you know that employees from across the National Park Service stepped up to help their fellow employees after hurricanes hit the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico? In September of 2017, Hurricane Irma, one of the strongest known hurricanes in the Atlantic, lashed the Caribbean and Florida. It was followed within days by Hurricane Maria, another devastating hurricane that also hit Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, among other places. Boxes line a hallway awaiting shipment to parks in the Caribbean. Photo by Kristine Brunsman Rebuilding A Sense Of Community After A Disaster: Post-Hurricane Response to the National Parks in the Caribbean A local granddaughter-grandmother team up to prepare food for staff at San Juan National Historic Site during hurricanes Irma and Maria recovery efforts. Two women stand in a makeshift kitchen with a large stove and grill. Guide to the Thomas J. Allen Photograph Collection Finding aid for the Thomas J. Allen Photographs in the NPS History Collection. 50 Nifty Finds #11: Carving a Place in NPS History Few employees have left as visible a mark on National Park Service (NPS) exhibits as John A. Segeren. His work has been enjoyed by generations of park visitors who never knew his name but appreciated his intricate wood carvings and playful animal figures displayed in parks throughout the system. A master woodcarver described by former President Lyndon B. Johnson as "a legacy to this country," Segeren carved out his own place in NPS history. Round wooden plaque with bison, globe, and waterfall Event Recap - Empowering Our Future Conservation and Climate Stewards The National Park Service Youth and Young Adult Programs Division co-hosted the virtual event “Then/Now/Tomorrow: Empowering Our Future Conservation and Climate Stewards” on April 24, 2024, for National Park Week, alongside The Corps Network, the National Park Foundation, and AmeriCorps. A panel of six current and former corps members shared their experiences working and serving on public lands. A screenshot of eight individuals in boxes on the Zoom Platform. Guide to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Southeast Region Collection This finding aid describes the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Southest Region Collection, part of the NPS History Collection. From Coral Reefs to Historic Trails: YCC Programs Inspire the Next Generation of Conservationists in the Caribbean Work, Learn, Play, and Grow! That is what these youth, interns, and National Park Service staff did this summer through the paid Youth Conservation Corps Program! A group of 11 youth stand behind a sign that reads "San Juan National Historic Site"

Guardian of the Spanish Main The 400-year-old castles and battlements that encircle Old San Juan are protected today as part of San Juan National Historic Site. Begun by Spanish troops in the 16th century, these massive masonry defenses are the oldest European-style fortifications w ithin the territory of the United States. The silent bastions and batteries are constant reminders of Spain 's historic power in the New World. In the 50 years after Columbus discovered the island of Puerto Rico in 1493, Spain built a vast and lucrative New World empire that helped it become the leading European power of t he day. The conquests of Mexico and Peru provided the Spanish treasury with dependable sources of great wealth in precious gems, gold, and silver. To assure safe delivery of these riches, Spain sent two armed ship convoys to the New World each year, building up San Juan's harbor defenses. Drake put San Juan through Sir Francis Drake (left) provoked Spain's King Philip II (right) into entering the eastern Caribbean Sea near Puerto Rico. One convoy took on Mexican gold and silver and Philippine merchandise at Vera Cruz; the other picked up pearls at Cartagena and Peru vian treasure at Portobelo on the Isthmus of Panama. The two fleets met at Havana for the voyage back to Spain past the shores of Florida. To these treasure ships, the Caribbean Sea was a vital passageway. It was also a dangerous maze of islands with few harbors of refuge. Spain claimed t he Caribbean as its exclusive territory by right of c onquest and papal dispensation, but its author ity was c onstantly bein g c hallenged by pirates and by t raditional European enemies-England, France, and Holland, whose roving corsairs regularly attacked Spanish shipping and towns. To safeguard New World possessions and maintain its trade monopoly, Spain built massive fortifications at key harbors in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. The most critical st rategic location n the island of Puerto Rico was San Juan harbor, which King Phili 11 called "the key to the Indies." For the first 20 years after San Juan was established in 1521, the town 's defenses consisted mainly of houses local settlers fortified to protect themselves against Carib Indian attacks. The most important of these was Casa Blanca, originally a small blockhouse built in 1525 as a home for the heirs of Juan Ponce de Leon, colonizer and first governor of Puerto Rico . Another st ronghold, La Fortaleza, was completed in 1540 overlooking the anchorage in San Juan Bay. It was so poorly located, however, that the Spanish historian Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo complained that "only blind men could have chosen such a site for a fort." Old San Juan, founded in 1521, stands on th e western end of a rugged , rocky islet that is bordered on the north by the Atlantic and on the south and west by a vast and graceful bay. On the eastern side, historic San Antonio Bridge joins the islet to the mainland of Puerto Rico. The co lonial city shows its best side from the harbor. Built on natural slopes, the crowded cl usters of buildings ta ke the form of a great amphitheater Building the Forts - - -Fc r-25-fears afte' 1-7&.>,. - -- - engineers and laborers under the direction of Chief Engineer Thomas O'Daly and his successors worked to give San A Plann ed Town By the end of the 18th century, the walls and citadels of San Juan were spread out over more than 200 acres of land. By contrast, all of the churches, houses, shops, and plazas of the city occupied only 62 acres. Following princi ples codified in the Royal Ordinances of Philip II of 1573, San -· framed by a form idable ring of wal ls Juan - co bblestone paving, inner and cast les. A comb ination of ol d , patio. and courtyards, overhanging houses and modern bu ildings imparts balconies, and relig ious shrines. The variety to the cityscape, and gives city's l'llost impressive features are San Juan its co lorful and picturesque the old castles and fortification s, character. It is a city with a proud and which both provided defense and restricted its growth. Now part of the rich heritage, tempered by ancient calamit ies of war, pirate attacks, earth - nati onal historic site, they include the castles of El Morro and San quakes, and hurricanes. Cristobal. El Cafiuelo fort, and most of th e c1 valls. The face of co lonial Spain, und isturbed by modern innovations, can still be seen in t he streets of San Juan a defense-in-depth tem that eould elfH! good garrison repel any · invader. They enlarged and modernized El Morro and San Cristobal, built coastal and harbor batteries at various saUents Col. Thomas O'Daly, an Irish-born engineer, was largely respon sible for creating the San Juan fortifications that stand here today. No along the city wa ll, and extended the land defenses east of San Cristobal. chored in the harbor on the night of November 23, 1595 (above). The f irst effect ive fortification designed to defend San Juan harbor was a roun

World Heritage Sites in the United States Governor’s House, La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historical Site Red-footed booby, Papahaˉnaumokuaˉ kea Morning Glory Pool, Yellowstone National Park © HARVEY BARRISON © KRIS KRUG JEFF SULLIVAN PHOTOGRAPHY 2 Kluane /  Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay /  Tatshenshini-Alsek 1 Statue of Liberty Grand Canyon National Park © MICHAEL BELL PIXABAY/SKEEZE © MICHAEL LOYD Olympic National Park 3 WA SH I N GTO N - 19 81 Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park vii • ix vii • viii • ix • x A L A SK A (US), C A N A DA - 1979 Features temperate rainforest, glaciers, peaks, alpine meadows, old-growth forest, and wilderness coastline. Critical habitat for endangered species including northern spotted owl and bull trout. www.nps.gov/olym Over 24 million acres of wild lands and waters are changed by glaciers and volcanic activity. www.nps.gov/glba, www.nps.gov/wrst www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/yt/kluane www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore vii • ix © MIKE CRISS Montana (US), Canada - 1995 World’s first international peace park. Rich biodiversity and outstanding scenery with prairie, forest, alpine, and glacial features. www.nps.gov/glac www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/waterton/ Grinnell Point © MIKE KOCH Old Faithful © MARK STEVENS 23 © STEVE BOND Yellowstone National Park vii • viii • ix • x Renowned for geothermal features, Yellowstone has the world’s largest concentration of geysers. Protects grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and elk. www.nps.gov/yell iii • iv I L L I N O I S - 19 82 With over 1,100 properties, the World Heritage List This urban complex flourished 1000– 1350 CE (Common Era). Regional center for prehistoric Mississippian culture. www.cahokiamounds.org shows a shared global commitment to preserve the world’s most important natural and cultural sites. Monks Mound Learn more about the World Heritage sites in the 22 4 Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site Preserved for All Humanity W YO M I N G, M O N TA N A , I DA H O - 1978 © JIM WARK/AIRPHOTO United States, described here with selection criteria Redwood National and State Parks This gift from France to the United States is a symbol of international friendship, peace, progress, freedom, democracy, and human migration. Renowned for art and engineering. www.nps.gov/stli World Heritage Sites in the United States can be pur- Coastal mountain home to California brown pelicans, sea lions, bald eagles, and ancient redwood forest—the world’s tallest trees. www.nps.gov/redw i • vi N E W YO R K - 19 8 4 scription year, and websites. The Passport booklet C A L I F O R N I A - 19 8 0 Statue of Liberty 5 in Roman numerals (details other side), location, in- vii • ix Black bear, Great Smoky Mountains National Park chased at www.eparks.com. For more on the World Pixabay Heritage List: whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/us. © AMY HUDECHEK Natural Papahaˉnaumokuaˉkea iii • vi • viii • ix • x Cultural Mixed 21 6 H AWA I I - 2010 Independence Hall This vast living “cultural seascape” embodies kinship of people to place in Native Hawaiian cosmology. Includes seamounts, endemic species, critical habitats, and coral reefs. www.papahanaumokuakea.gov vi P EN N S Y LVA N I A - 1979 An international symbol of freedom and democracy, this 18th-century building is where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were created and signed. www.nps.gov/inde Greg McFall / NOAA 20 Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park © TODD LANDRY viii H AWA I I - 19 87 Earth’s greatest mass of volcanoes, including Mauna Loa and Kilauea, tower over a “hotspot” in the mantle. Continuous geologic activity builds an ever changing landscape home to rare and endemic species. www.nps.gov/havo 21 7 PACIFIC OCEAN 0 Hawaii Everglades National Park viii • ix • x 20 F LO R I DA - 1979 800 Kilometers 0 800 Miles North America’s largest subtropical wilderness has several vital habitats for plants and animals including Florida panthers and manatees. Key area for bird migration and breeding. www.nps.gov/ever NPS Yosemite National Park 19 vii • viii © CARLTON WARD JR. C A L I F O R N I A - 19 8 4 Glacial erosion helped sculpt this scenic landscape. Soaring granite cliffs, polished domes, high waterfalls, sequoia groves, wilderness, deep-cut valleys, and alpine meadow habitats. www.nps.gov/yose 18 Chaco Culture iii Castillo San Felipe del Morro N E W M E X I CO - 19 87 © ANGEL LOPEZ Prehistoric, monumental masonry structures in Chaco Canyon, along with a network of roads and outlier sites like Aztec Ruins, exhibit the vast influence of the ancestral Puebloan culture on the Southwestern landscape. www.nps.gov/azru, www.nps.gov/chcu © JOCELYN PANTALEON HIDALGO The 20th-century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site vi © OJEFFREY PHOTOGRAPHY P U ERTO R I CO - 19 8 3 ii Strategic defensive structures represent early European military architecture, e