Former André-Bouron Hospital

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former André-Bouron Hospital, located in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, Guyana, is a hospital building built between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is part of the transport camp district, linked to the prison history of the region. The site, designed according to a pavilion plan, revolves around a symmetrical central axis, with two groups of four buildings. These plans date back to 1899, marking a reconstruction after a first hospital in the 1870s.

The city of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, founded in 1858 by Admiral Auguste-Laurent Baudin, then governor of Guyana, is structured into three distinct zones: the official quarter, the colonial city, and the transport camp district, to which the hospital is attached. The ensemble has been classified as a historic monument since 9 March 1999, protecting buildings, fence walls and plated ground. This ranking underscores its heritage and architectural importance, reflecting a pivotal period in Guyanese history.

The hospice organisation of the hospital, typical of the hospital establishments of the time, was designed to improve the hygiene and movement of patients. The site, now decommissioned in its original function, remains a major testimony of Guyana's medical and prison history. Its official address, Avenue du Général-de-Gaulle, and its Insee code (97311) confirm its anchoring in the territory of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, French overseas department.

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