Description:
The charming single-story structure sitting on 16 Barbosa Street in the municipality of Bayamón might not seem particularly significant at first glance if not for its quaintness – yet it once belonged to the man after which the street it sits on was named.
National hero Dr. José Celso Barbosa was born in this humble wooden house, a classic example of XIX century traditional Puerto Rican town architecture, on July 27, 1857. Now a museum administered by the Municipality of Bayamón, it recreates the living arrangements of its renowned former owner.
Doctor, politician, journalist, and champion of democratic institutions – Barbosa dedicated much of his life to working for the common good of his fellow countrymen. He was the first Puerto Rican doctor with an American degree, as well as the founder of the island’s first co-operative, its first bilingual newspaper, and the Republican Party of Puerto Rico favoring statehood.
These walls follow Dr. Barbosa’s story through memorabilia related to each one of those roles, his life at home, and other achievements leading up to his death in 1921.
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