Hacienda Azucarera la Igualdad, Sugar Mill Ruins & Steam Engine, PR Route 332, Guanica, Guanica Municipio, PR

Significance: Still extant at the ruins of Hacienda Azucarera La Igualdad is a single column, slide-valve, side-crank beam engine of unknown manufacture that drove a three-role cane crushing mill. The plantation dates from 1840 while the cane crushing machinery dates from 1860-1870. Most of the machinery is intact as is the chimney, but of the buildings, only the ruins of foundation walls and arches remain. The steam engine is of unusual architectural design having an open, decorative, single pedestal, cast-iron column supporting a cast-iron beam. The engine has a 12 inch bore and 40 inch stroke with a 15 foot diameter cast-iron flywheel that turned at approximately 20 revolutions per minute, with individual spoke and rim castings bolted together. Connected to the crankshaft and flywheel is a single, 15 foot diameter reduction gear coupled to a three-role cane crushing mill. Virtually no historical information was found for this site during the HAER recording project.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-6
Survey number: HAER PR-7
Building/structure dates: 1840 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: after 1860 Subsequent Work