Bird habitation

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The residence Loiseau, originally called Loyseau, is a former coffee farm founded in the early 19th century in Vieux-Habitants, on the island of Basse-Terre in Guadeloupe. Located on a 5 hectare estate on the edge of the Great River, it was first exploited by slaves, then by Indian workers after the abolition of slavery. His activity focused on the culture and transformation of coffee, with dedicated infrastructures such as a bonus (place of roasting) and a blade wheel for the clearing.

In 1894, the property was acquired by Amédée Labique, a man of free colour and future mayor of Vieux-Habitants, who already owned two coffee shops at altitude. He processed his coffee there before the current mansion was rebuilt in 1916 by the carpenter Adrien Étienne, in a colonial style made of wood and sheet metal. The improvement, built in 1920, became the most important in the valley. The house then passes into the hands of the Guilliod family, including Raymond Guilliod, a local politician.

Classified as a historical monument in 2016 for its main house and its bonus, the residence Loiseau is now a renowned guest house, having welcomed personalities like Jacques Chirac or Brigitte Bardot. It also houses cultural events, such as exhibitions or concerts, while preserving historical facilities such as the drawer boucan (place of storage) and the blade wheel. Its architecture, typical of the Antillean houses of the early twentieth century, combines colonial tradition with local adaptations, such as the masonry added in the 1960s.

The preserved buildings, including the additions renovated in 2002, bear witness to the agricultural and social history of Guadeloupe, marked by slavery, Indian immigration and the evolution of coffee production techniques. The dwelling also illustrates the architectural heritage of the West Indies, with its wooden galleries, croup roofs and skylights, characteristic of the mansions of the period.

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