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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The subdivision of the seven houses located 29-37 rue Chef-de-Ville in La Rochelle dates mainly from the 17th century, with architectural elements added to the 18th century. These two-storey houses, with stone facades and arches in the middle of their walls, once housed a sugar refinery. Their layout along the street and their characteristic style reflect the commercial urbanisation of La Rochelle at this time, marked by the maritime trade and the transformation of colonial commodities such as sugar.

In 1668, a sugar refinery belonged to the Creagh family, Sieur de La Faucherie, before being acquired by John (II) Vivier. These industrial facilities were associated with the seven houses forming a coherent whole. The rear building body, probably built or remodelled in the 18th century, kept traces of this sugar activity. Wooden staircases, iron ramps and curved bays testify to the alliance between bourgeois habitat and productive function.

Ranked historic monument by decree of 20 June 1928, this subdivision illustrates the architectural heritage linked to the harbour economy of La Rochelle. The facades and arcades, protected for their heritage value, recall the city's central role in transatlantic trade in the 17th and 18th centuries. The sources, such as the works of Father Coutant or Rémy Béraud, confirm the historical importance of this site, today preserved as a testimony of the local industrial and urban past.

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