Beaufonds plant

Museums of France

All lime ovens, factories and factories in France

Timeline

Temps modernes

Révolution/Empire

XIXe siècle

Époque contemporaine

1800

1900

2000

fin années 1820 - début 1830

Foundation of the Sugar Industry

1830

First official entry

1840

Repurchase by the Deguigné family

1875

Assignment to Crédit Fondcier Colonial

vers 1880

Rebuilding the factory

1996

Closure of the sugar factory

2012

Repurchase by Rivière du Mât

2019

Restoration of the chimney

22 juillet 2025

Registration for Historic Monuments

Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The Beaufonds factory comprising the chimney with the remains both in elevation and archeological, the buildings of the former distillery with their annexed warehouse, the former workshops and warehouses and the feed canal, located Chemin Manioc, Industrial Zone of Beaufonds, on plots Nos. 1419, 1421, 1424, 1434, 1498, 1499, 1639 and 1643, appearing in the cadastre section AR, as shown in red on the annexed plan: inscription by order of 22 July 2025

Key figures

Frères Hubert Delisle - Founders of the sugar factory	Creators between 1820 and 1830.
Famille Deguigné - Owners (1840-1875)	Expansion of the estate to 976 hectares.
Crédit Foncier Colonial - Acquirer in 1875	Reconstruction around 1880.
Rivière du Mât - Repeater in 2012	Processing into a rum distillery.

Origin and history

The Beaufonds factory, located in Saint-Benoît on the island of La Réunion, is an emblematic industrial complex of the last quarter of the 19th century. Originally founded as a sugar factory between the late 1820s and the early 1830s by the Hubert Delisle brothers, it was mentioned in 1830 as "Veuve Aguier et Delisle". Operating with hydraulic power and steam machinery, it illustrates the island's early industrialization in the agri-food sector. The site now preserves a restored fireplace in 2019, workshops, warehouses, and remnants of canals, testimonies of its sugar past.

In 1840, the factory was acquired by the Deguigné family, which extended the estate from 260 to 976 hectares under the name "domain Sainte-Marguerite". Despite these expansions, the poor profitability led the Deguigné to transfer the site to Crédit Foncier Colonial in 1875. A major reconstruction took place around 1880, followed by successive modernizations under the overseas Sucreries and then the Quartier Français group. The sugar industry ceased in 1996, but the site was reborn in 2012 with the installation of a rum distillery by Rivière du Mât, thus continuing its industrial vocation.

Ranked among the Historical Monuments, the Beaufonds factory today protects its fireplace, buildings (former distillery, workshops, warehouses) and its feeding canal. These elements, located on several cadastral parcels, were registered by decree in 2025 for their heritage value. The site, although partially accessible, remains a symbol of Réunion's economic history, mixing sugar heritage and contemporary adaptation to rum production.

The location of the site, between Chemin Manioc and the Beaufonds Industrial Zone, reflects its integration into a territory marked by agricultural and industrial activity. The GPS coordinates and approximate address (27 Deviation Beaufonds) highlight its geographical anchor, while the map accuracy, considered "passible" (note 5/10), invites verifications for a specific visit. The factory thus embodies both a material heritage and a living memory of the economic transformations of La Réunion.