Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Maison Bougénot is an urban dwelling built between 1880 and 1891 on land acquired by Paul Bioche, replacing a previous house dating from at least 1780. This land once belonged to the Olivier family, traders, who had leased it to Joseph Valeau. The current Creole-style wooden house with triple slatting and long-paned roof reflects 19th-century local architecture.

Acquired in 1892 by Armand Boumant and his wife, she was named after them. The property, including a courtyard with kitchen, vegetable garden and domestic housing, was purchased by the municipality of Basse-Terre in 1990. It was listed in the General Inventory in 2007, then listed as a historical monument in 2009 for its facade and roof, although in a delapidated state.

The house illustrates the colonial town planning of Basse-Terre, with its alignment of wooden buildings, now almost disappeared. Its architecture, adapted to the tropical climate (healthy vacuum, galetas, cistern), and its history related to trade and Creole society make this a rare testimony. The vestiges of canals and settling basins in the courtyard recall the hydraulic arrangements of the period.

In 1839, the site was already home to a wooden house covered with trees, with water being added since 1823. The Bouchesnots, also owners of the nearby house in the 1930s, linked the two properties by their courts. Today, only the Boumanot House and the Thermal House remain, protected for their heritage value.

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