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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint Helena villa was built between 1868 and 1872 for Charles James Irwin Grant, sixth Baron of Longueuil, during the golden age of Pau, a city popular with the English and Americans for its Pyrenean climate. Born into a French-born aristocratic Quebec family, Baron de Longueuil lived there until his death in 1879. The property then passed to his son, Charles Colmore Grant, and then to his half-brother Reginald Charles of St. Helena, who gave him his current name before selling it in 1921.

In 1921, the villa was acquired by Frederic Prince, an American industrialist in Chicago, who made it a holiday residence. His son, Norman Prince, hero of the First World War and founder of the La Fayette squadron, inspired the name of the avenue bordering the property. The Prince family transferred the villa to the state in 1952, under conditions: maintenance of the estate and preservation of Norman Prince's portrait in the lobby. Since then, it has been home to the Prefect of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

Ranked a historic monument in 2002, the villa is distinguished by its imposing architecture (40 m long, 4 levels) and its 2 hectares park, formerly 7 hectares. The estate includes a horse ride, stables, and a greenhouse today moved to the Asson Zoo. The large living room, decorated with woodwork and 18th-century grey paints, and the prefectural apartments illustrate its prestige.

The villa remains a private property, open to the public only during European Heritage Days. Its history reflects the links between the Quebec aristocracy, the American industry and the French administration, while showing Pau's attractiveness as a climate destination in the 19th century.

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