Habitation Zevallos

Museums of France

Miscellaneous

Crédit photo : Aristoi - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Temps modernes

Révolution/Empire

XIXe siècle

Époque contemporaine

1800

1900

2000

1802

Land union

1844

Foundation of the Central Plant

1868-1871

Construction of director's house

1901

Plant closure

24 septembre 1990

Historical monument classification

2020

Heritage Lotto Selection

Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Main dwelling with its wind box, fence wall, shed, chimney of the sugar factory, former well, switch of the train (Box AX 169, 168): classification by order of 24 September 1990

Key figures

Philippe Dominique de Parisis de Zévallos - Historical owner	Unified the land in 1802 by marriage.
Comte de Chazelles - Initiator of the central plant	Construction began in 1844.
Auguste Duchassaing de Fontbressin - Owner and manufacturer	Edited the director's house (1868-1871).
Raphaël Wachter - Retaker in 1902	Turned the plant into an agricultural distillery.
Rosan Debibakas - Current owner since 1999	Wear the current restoration project.

Origin and history

The Zevallos house, located in Moule in Guadeloupe, is an old sugar farm founded in the 19th century. It was created in 1844 as a central plant by the Compagnie des Antilles, centralizing sugar production in several surrounding plantations. This innovative model marked a revolution in the local sugar industry, before the plant ceased operations in 1901.

The estate, originally created by the union of two wealthy families in 1802, was purchased in the 1860s by Auguste Duchassaing de Fontbressin. Between 1868 and 1871 he built the director's house, a prefabricated metal construction potentially linked to Gustave Eiffel's workshops, although this origin remained controversial. The house, in Creole colonial style with iron and pink brick elements, was designed to withstand cyclones thanks to a two-metre health vacuum.

After a period of decline in the 20th century marked by frequent changes of owners and unsuccessful attempts to revive, the dwelling was classified as a historic monument in 1990. In 1999, it was acquired by Rosan Debibakas, whose grandparents, Indian workers, had worked in the sugar factory. A major restoration project, including the dismantling and reconstruction of corroded metal elements, was launched and supported in 2020 by the Heritage Lotto.

From the former sugar factory, the industrial chimney remains today, a well, a balance and a train switch, all classified. The house of the director, with its unique structure and its marquise bearing the initials of Duchassaing, is open to the visit. The site, located along the national road 5, bears witness to the economic and social history of Guadeloupe, including Indian immigration and the evolution of agricultural techniques.

The architecture of the house, combining prefabricated elements imported from New Orleans and local adaptations, reflects the cultural and technological exchanges of the time. Its roof, initially in tiles and then replaced by plates in 1894, and its wrought iron balconies make it a rare example of hybridization between European and Creole styles. The estate, with an area of 2.3 hectares, is an emblematic vestige of the Antillean industrial heritage.