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Origin and history

Chapp House, located at 42 Cours Nolilos in Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe), is a building built in the late eighteenth century, representing one of the oldest preserved buildings in the city. It stands out for its unique stone façade in Basse-Terre and its exceptional ironwork, including a balcony and balconies on the first and second floors. The building, organized around an inner courtyard, consists of two housing bodies connected by a wing, with architectural elements such as an English wooden staircase and period mirrors.

Purchased in 1782 by doctor Pierre Belost and merchant Victor Estiemble, the plot was finally taken over in 1787 by Nicolas Angeron after financial disputes. The latter completed the construction and added extensions, including a wing in return and a building on the Rue du Docteur-Pitat, probably in the 1840s. The house, abandoned for some 20 years, suffered major deterioration before being secured in 2008 by the Directorate of Cultural Affairs of Guadeloupe (DACG).

Ranked a historic monument on February 2, 1987, Chapp House was the subject of a public inquiry in 2013 with a view to its acquisition by the DACG to install its headquarters. The comforting work allowed to preserve its remarkable elements, such as stone basins, vaulted kitchens, and a roof edicle that could serve as a watchdog to monitor the arrival of the ships. Its history reflects the economic and social dynamics of Guadeloupe in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The interior preserves traces of its past use, with rooms dedicated to trade on the ground floor, living rooms and bedrooms on the floors, and outbuildings such as stables and kitchens equipped with vegetable gardens and brickwork furnaces. The interior changes, including the wooden staircase, probably date back to the second half of the 19th century. Despite its state of degradation, Chapp remains a major architectural testimony of the colonial era in Guadeloupe.

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