Page 29 - CARIBE TOURIST GUIDE

12. Casa de la Cultura
Located at the intersection of Avenida 3 and Calle 3. The building was built in 1938 in reinforced concrete, with a façade in the art deco style, very fashionable in many of the buildings that were built at that time. In the 1960s, the central nave was transformed into the Oasis Restaurant, which became very popular among sailors arriving at the port, since it had a large ballroom and a bar in addition to the restaurant. The restaurant was opened by Rubén Acón León, tenant of the property, who, also established his family home on the second floor of the building.
In 1980 it became the Popular Theater of Limón and a Casa de la Cultura. For this purpose, the space was readapted internally by demolishing the second floor and installing the stage and bleachers.
13. Railroad
This historically important project opened the doors to two activities that would be fundamental to the economic and social development of the region: port activity and tourism. In 1871 the government of Tomás Guardia, attempted to build a railroad linking the Central Valley with the port of Limón with the aim of facilitating coffee exports, but the project failed. It was again restarted in 1884 through the Soto-Keith contract. This railroad was built, finally opening on December 7, 1890 and came into the hands of the Northern Railway Co.
The construction of the railroad determined two events of vital importance for the Caribbean region. The first occurred in December 1872, when the first ship with black workers arrived from Kingston, Jamaica, with the purpose of joining the workforce building the railroad. This group would go on to permanently settle in the area.
Historic sites
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