Hacienda Larrauri
Hacienda Larrauri reportedly was established ca. 1870 and ceased operations in 1900. Photographed below are the remains of the sugar factory building and the smoke stack. Supposedly, the remains of the Jamaican Train used in that era to cook the sugarcane juice are still inside the factory building. The property these remains are is fenced not allowing access to the ruins, their interior and immediacies. The land around the sugar factory remains where sugarcane was grown is now being used to raise cattle.
It is reasonable to believe this hacienda was owned by one or more members of the Larrauri family given its name. No definitive information has been found. however, the first member of the Larrauri family there is information on is José Manuel Larrauri, born in San Juan who is identified in several documents as "hacendado" or plantation owner. However, it appears he was a resident of Cayey and not Coamo. José Manuel and his wife Cruz Aponte were the parents of José Jesús Larrauri Aponte (1819-1886). José Jesús Larrauri is the first Larrauri family member found as a resident of Coamo. He was born in Cayey and was married to Fausta Aponte Rodriguez of Yabucoa. They had ten children:
Fausta (+ before 1886)
Julio Martín (1853- ) born in Camuy resident of Coamo, married Julia Cruz Quesada, in 1910 Census identified as single "Agricultor Finca Cultivo General"
Jesús (+ before 1886)
Juana María (1853-1937) married Jesús Gervasio Bengoa
Jesusa (1868- ) married José Aponte Vidal
Carmen (1860 - ) was a nun
José Jesús (+ before 1886)
José Manuel (1863-1895) born in Coamo, never married
Claro (+ before 1886)
José Ruperto (1865- ) born in Coamo, married Maria Escalera Santiago, in 1910 Census identified as single "Agricultor Finca Crianza Ganado"
José Jesús was four times Mayor of Coamo, from 1857 to1864, in 1872, 1874 and from 1879 to 1883. In the 1870 Slave Register, José Jesús appears with four slaves which is not representative of a plantation owner, however based on the dates of operation of this sugar factory it is possible it was then only in the planning stage. In the 1898 Colonial Business Directory, there is a Jose Maria Larrauri in Coamo engaged in the manufacture of bricks and lime.
Based on the information above, most likely the Owner of Hacienda Larrauri was José Jesús Larrauri although that has not been verified. Based on the information above from the 1910 census records, it appears that the land that was by then Jesús Maria sons were using the land where once sugarcane was grown for other agricultural purposes. These ruins are located on the east side of PR-153 just before a bridge and an ”I ♥ Coamo” sign that can’t be missed.
