The idea for the asylum for the poor began with a campaign to build it by Salvador Suau y Mulet when he was Mayor of Mayagüez.

The building was designed and built by commissioned state architects Manuel V. Domenech and Luis Perocier in 1895.

The building as it stands today however was not fully completed until 1920 due to complications caused by the 1918 earthquake, after which it was restored and expanded.

The number of elderly patients increased, and, in 1967, occupational therapy and arts programs were added by the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, they also run the laundry, cafeteria, pharmacy and others.

[1] [6][7] In 2016 the elderly residents were relocated to a larger and newer facility located near the Eugenio María de Hostos Airport.