Grant to the Jesuits 1650 (≈ 1650)
Land transferred to Jesuits before resale.
1759
Partial destruction
Partial destruction 1759 (≈ 1759)
British attack during the war.
1825
Destructive Cyclone
Destructive Cyclone 1825 (≈ 1825)
Buildings and crops destroyed, reconstruction.
1850-1887
Restoration work
Restoration work 1850-1887 (≈ 1869)
Upgrading of sugar infrastructure.
1890
Conversion into distillery
Conversion into distillery 1890 (≈ 1890)
Activity until 1945.
2008
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 2008 (≈ 2008)
Protection of soil and buildings.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The land of the plot of the dwelling and all the buildings, excluding the arrangements of the second half of the twentieth century (Box BI 128): inscription by order of 25 July 2008
Key figures
Information non disponible - No names cited in the sources
The texts do not mention any characters.
Origin and history
The Ducharmoy house, also called the Ducharmois house, is a former colonial farm founded in the 18th century in Saint-Claude, on the island of Basse-Terre in Guadeloupe. Originally owned by the Jesuits, who gave parcels of it to private individuals, it became a prosperous sugar factory before being partially destroyed in 1759 during an English attack. During the Revolution, it was placed under receivership and rebuilt after a devastating cyclone in 1825.
In the 19th century, the property evolved: the main house and industrial buildings were restored between 1850 and 1887, while the sugar factory was converted into a distillery around 1890, active until 1945. The spatial organization reflects a traditional home-sucrery, with terraces housing the master's house, wooden workers' boxes, and volcanic stone production infrastructures. A diversion of the Le Pelletier Canal fed the site with water.
Classified as a historical monument in 2008 for its original soil and constructions (excluding recent developments), the dwelling illustrates the colonial and agricultural history of the West Indies. Its architecture combines stone masonry and wooden structures, while its fragmentation in the 20th century altered its original integrity. Today, it reflects the economic and social dynamics of sugar cultivation and slavery in the region.
