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Origin and history

The Matis house, located at 52 (or 256) rue Amédée-Fengarol in Basse-Terre, is one of the oldest buildings in Guadeloupe, built around 1750 on the foundations of a dwelling before 1688. Its strategic location, near the iron hold and the Place d'Armes, reflects its role in the colonial trade and military life. The plans of Payen and Plumier (1686-1688) suggest an early occupation of the site, linked to the proximity of a ravine channeled between 1768 and 1769, facilitating access to water.

Originally, the building, twice as long as today, probably housed four adjoining houses for military or civil service rental. Its southern façade, with twelve bays of segmental arc typical of the eighteenth century, gave onto the iron hold (now Bossant Street), while a wooden gallery protected the northern facade from the weather. The roof, initially covered with wood planks, was replaced by plate after 1830.

The house changed ownership several times: acquired by Joseph Dujarric de Lagarde, king's doctor and owner of lime ovens, she passed to her son Jean-Baptiste, then to her granddaughter Marie Joseph Joseph Josephine in 1822. Damaged by the cyclones of 1825 and 1865, it partially lost its floor. In 1871, Hyacinthe Matis became owner, giving his name to the building. Serving as a refuge during the 1928 cyclone, it was restored in 2011-2012 to its original facades.

Ranked a historic monument in 2008, the Matis House illustrates the architectural and social evolution of Basse-Terre. Its ground bays, its dormant windows, and its vaulted cellar (perhaps an old sewer) testify to the constructive colonial techniques. Today, divided into two parts, it retains a south-facing bellows façade and a wooden structure to the north, reflecting successive adaptations to climatic hazards and urban uses.

Historical plans (1769, 1784, 1818) confirm its importance in the urban landscape, near the King's Shops. The house, divided in 1826 after a cyclone, saw its western floor removed, while the eastern part, now Matis house, was preserved. Recent restorations have highlighted its unique character among the rare 18th century bourgeois houses still standing in Guadeloupe.

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