Baril plant

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Origin and history

The Baril factory is a former sugar factory built between 1861 and 1863 on the southeast coast of La Réunion, in Saint-Philippe, at the place called Le Baril. It is built by Jacques-Henri Montbel Fontaine, former mayor of the commune, and embodies the rise of the sugar industry in this region in the 19th century. Its location along the Indian Ocean reflects the strategic importance of port infrastructure for sugar export.

Purchased in 1868 by the Colonial Land Credit, the factory ceased its sugar production in 1887, marking the end of a flourishing economic period. Transformed into cassava starch in 1919, it was ravaged by a cyclone in 1932, resulting in its permanent abandonment. The remains, including the iconic fireplace, are now protected as historical monuments.

The protection of the site evolves over time: a first decree in 2002 inscribed the chimney and its land, before a second, in 2022, extends this protection to all archaeological and architectural remains. These measures highlight the heritage value of the factory, a symbol of La Réunion's agricultural and industrial past. Owned by the commune of Saint-Philippe, the site remains a tangible testimony to the economic changes of the island.

The Baril factory is part of a broader historical context, that of the plantation economy in Reunion in the 19th century. The cultivation of sugar cane, introduced in the 17th century, experienced a major increase thanks to slavery and then to the work begun after its abolition in 1848. Sugar plants, such as Baril, play a central role in this economy, while being vulnerable to climatic hazards and economic crises.

Today, the ruins of the factory, located on National Highway 2, offer an overview of the industrial techniques of the time. Their preservation allows us to study Creole industrial architecture and local adaptations to geographical and climatic constraints. The site, although partially in ruins, is a place of memory for the Reunions and an attraction for visitors interested in the economic history of the island.

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