FOUNDATION
Orocovis was originally a neighborhood of Barranquitas. In 1825, Don Juan Rivera de Santiago began efforts to convert said neighborhood into an independent town, obtaining power of attorney from the residents of the area to represent them before the government.
He donated the land for the downtown area and obtained approval for the foundation on November 10, 1825. He was our founder (Captain Settler) and first mayor (War Lieutenant).
The original name of the town was Barros, since it was on the site of Barros, an area within ​​the Orocovis neighborhood, where an attempt was originally made to establish the town. That name was used for more than a century. In 1928 the name of the town was changed to Orocovis.
Where does the name Orocovis come from?
From the Taino chief Orocobix, who's yucayeque (village) was located in what is today the neighborhood of Palo Hincado in Barranquitas and ruled the zones of present day Barranquitas, Orocovis and Aibonito. That region was called Jatibonicu.
More history...
NOTE: Some sections are meant for locals only and were not translated
The Founders
A list of some of the people who participated in the founding process
Downtown Streets
Explanation of the names of our streets that have some relationship with our history
The Church / Parish
Brief history of the different versions of the downtown church
Wood Carving of Saints
...and Celestino Avilés Meléndez
The Fire of 1875
The tragedy that almost makes downtown disappear
The Sentinel
The most beloved symbol
in our town
Meaning of the Orocovis flag
1. The green and blue stripes represent Jatibonicu, the region of ​​the Taino chief Orocobix :
- Orocovis (blue)
- Barranquitas and Aibonito (green)
​2. The white stripes represent the two original zones with which the town was founded in 1825:
- Orocovis
- Barros
3. Each peak of the sun represents one of our 17 neighborhoods.
4. The oval represents the “O” of the name Orocovis.
Geographic Center of Puerto Rico
In 2002, engineer Linda Vélez, together with her work team from the Mayagüez University Campus of the UPR, took on the task of defining the location of the center of Puerto Rico (main island), which they found in the Pellejas neighborhood and was declared The Natural Reserve of the Geographic Center of Puerto Rico.
Other basic
facts
Current mayor
Hon. Jesús E. (Gardy) Colón Berlingeri
Gastronomy
We are mainly known for the longaniza (sausage) thanks to our oldest restaurant in Orocovis, La Sombra.
Orocovis anthem
Composed by Celestino Avilés Burgos (listen to it here)
