For many years growing sugar was the main industry in Puerto Rico. It has left many abandoned plantations in its wake. But Aguirre Central goes way beyond a plantation.
Aguirre was a company town. And its purpose was refining sugar. The first refinery, built in the late 1800’s was a brick building.
But as the demand for sugar grew so did the operation, and a new factory was built. The town grew around the factory, with all houses owned by the company.
When the company went our of business in the 1970’s the houses were “sold” to the families of the former workers for $1, but the families are forbidden from selling the houses, they can only pass them down to the next generation.
But the real find is the abandoned factory itself:
