Construction of colonial hospital 1772 (≈ 1772)
Building erected at the place known as *Parc à Jacques*.
1803
Repurchase by Colony
Repurchase by Colony 1803 (≈ 1803)
Become a lazaret after sale by Fiteau.
XIXe siècle
Transformation into a master house
Transformation into a master house XIXe siècle (≈ 1865)
Sugar estate under Olive Lemarchand.
1948
Cyclone damage
Cyclone damage 1948 (≈ 1948)
Shaft roof destroyed and replaced.
22 octobre 1998
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 22 octobre 1998 (≈ 1998)
Total registration (building + land).
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Building called La Grande Maison, including its plate pitch (Box BH 123): inscription by order of 22 October 1998
Key figures
Pierre Fiteau - Doctor Major
Buyer in 1803, sold to Colony.
Olive Lemarchand - Sugar owner
Turn the estate into a sugar house.
Origin and history
The Grande Maison de Savanna, located in Saint Paul on the island of La Réunion, was built in 1772 by the Ministry of Marine and Colonies to serve as a colonial hospital. Destined for incurable patients, this building in carved basalt and mat wood, covered with shingles, reproduced the architectural model of another hospital built in 1767 south of Saint Paul. Used for two decades, it was sold in 1803 to Pierre Fiteau, a major physician, before being bought by the Colony to serve as a lazaret for travellers exposed to contagious diseases on board ships.
In the 19th century, the Grande Maison radically changed its function under the impetus of Olive Lemarchand, who made it the residence of the directors of its neighbouring sugar factory. The estate, renamed Savanna, became a key player in the Canenian economy. Lemarchand set up a park with three pools in front of the house. During the Second World War, the isolation of La Réunion transformed the place into a warehouse for unsold sugar bags, before a cyclone in 1948 ripped off its roof into shingles, replaced by sheet metal.
Abandoned after 1948, the Grand House was gradually closed (walled windows) and left to abandonment. Classified as a historic monument in 1998 for its building and land, it is now owned by the Saint Paul Town Hall. It is considering its rehabilitation, particularly because of its proximity to the Saint Paul Pond National Nature Reserve. Its architecture, typical of colonial dwellings, and its history reflect the economic and social changes of Reunion, from the hospital period to the sugar era.
The available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum) emphasize its successive role: hospital, lazaret, and then master house. Its listing in the Historic Monuments inventory covers the entire building and its land base, demonstrating its heritage value. Despite its current state of degradation, the Grand Maison remains a symbol of the island's colonial and agricultural past, between medical memory and sugar heritage.
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