Colonial Health House

Museums of France

All houses and villas classified in France

Crédit photo : H. Dupuis - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Temps modernes

Révolution/Empire

XIXe siècle

Époque contemporaine

1800

1900

2000

1838

Asylum Foundation

1839

Official Inauguration

1840

Officialized name

1843

First enlargement

1848

Opening to emancipated persons

8 mai 1902

Destruction by eruption

12 décembre 1996

Historical monument classification

Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The ruins (C 340, 341): classification by decree of 12 December 1996

Key figures

Monsieur Lemaire - Military Hospital Administrator	Founded asylum in 1838 with Dr. Devèze.
Docteur Devèze - Director of the Military Hospital	Initiator of the colonial Health House project.
Contre-amiral de Moges - Governor General of Martinique	Officialized the name in 1840 by administrative decision.
Docteur Rufz - Doctor Inspector	In 1854 he highlighted the progress of asylum with the governor.
Adèle Hugo - Famous pensioner	Daughter of Victor Hugo, staying at the property.
Sœurs de Saint-Paul de Chartres - Managing Congregation	Care and day-to-day management.

Origin and history

The colonial health house, located at 3-7 rue Levassir in Saint-Pierre, Martinique, was founded in 1838 by Mr Lemaire, administrator of military hospitals, on the initiative of Dr Devèze. Inaugurated in 1839, it became the first psychiatric institution in the West Indies, initially hosting thirteen patients transferred from Fort-de-France. His name was formalized in 1840 by the governor of Moges, who intended the alienated awaiting trial.

The establishment, managed by the Sisters of Saint Paul de Chartres, was distinguished by innovative methods such as hydrotherapy, occupational therapy via a garden, and cells designed for violent patients. Despite its modest beginnings (15 beds in 1839), it spread rapidly, reaching 200 beds in 1902. The structure was considered a model, comparable to the best metropolitan hospitals, with a chapel added in 1860.

On May 8, 1902, the eruption of Pelee Mountain completely destroyed the colonial health house, killing its 200 residents, 14 nurses, 5 nuns, and staff. The ruins, partially cleared since 1971, reveal poignant remains: strong chairs, hydrotherapy rooms, and cells. Classified as a historical monument in 1996, they illustrate a tragic and pioneering page of the Caribbean medical history.

Among the famous patients figure Adele, daughter of Victor Hugo. The excavations also revealed everyday objects, such as plates stamped with the name of the establishment. Despite its fate, the colonial health house remains a symbol of the medical progress of the 19th century in the colonies, mixing humanism and therapeutic rigor.

The methods employed, although sometimes brutal (contentions, cold baths), were perceived as revolutionary. The asylum also incorporated a social dimension, welcoming former slaves after 1848 thanks to the Public Assistance. His organization reflected the colonial challenges of the time, between segregation, innovation and adaptation to local specificities.