Acquisition by the Gruchet family 1837 (≈ 1837)
Purchase from a young lady Lebreton.
4e quart XVIIIe siècle
Initial construction
Initial construction 4e quart XVIIIe siècle (≈ 1887)
Wooden house on basalt base.
années 1910
Home expansion
Home expansion années 1910 (≈ 1910)
Adding a variangue and panelling.
1932
Roof destruction
Roof destruction 1932 (≈ 1932)
Reconstruction after a cyclone.
27 juin 2025
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 27 juin 2025 (≈ 2025)
Registration of the domain and dependencies.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The Gruchet estate, comprising the main house (without its recent extensions at the back), the driveway to the front of the property, the garden, outbuildings (food stores, alembic, henhouse, animal parks, water and stable vestige) and the back ground containing these outbuildings, excluding recent constructions, located 17 Chemin d'Eau, La Saline, on Parcel No. 68, appearing in the land register section ER, as shown in red on the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by order of 27 June 2025
Key figures
Famille Gruchet - Historical owner
Acquire the estate in 1837.
Demoiselle Lebreton - Former owner
Sell the house in 1837.
Père de l'actuelle propriétaire (années 1910) - Initiator of work
Grows up the house with a varangue.
Origin and history
Domaine Gruchet is a main house built of wood on a basalt base, dated the 4th quarter of the 18th century. Its walls, composed of horizontal piled iron planks, are still visible today. The four-paned roof, initially covered with traditional materials, was replaced by sheet metal. The estate extends over a vast agricultural land, including a pleasant garden at the front, an orchard, and outbuildings at the back, such as animal parks and an alembic. The set is organized around a coconut walkway leading to a central basin.
In 1837 the Gruchet family acquired the property of a young lady Lebreton. The house, located in the upper part of La Saline along the Hubert-Delisle road, underwent major transformations in the 1910s: a varangue was added to the front, flanked by two entirely laminated cabinets. In 1932, a cyclone destroyed the roof, subsequently rebuilt with a modified skylight. These developments reflect the architectural and family evolution of the estate, while maintaining original elements such as the iron wooden walls.
The Gruchet estate, classified as a Historical Monument in 2025, includes the main house (excluding recent extensions), its access driveway, the garden, and agricultural outbuildings (food stores, hens, stables). These elements illustrate the farming and residential lifestyle of the wealthy Creole families of La Réunion in the 18th and 19th centuries. The site remains partially exploited, mixing historical heritage and contemporary activity.
The location of the estate, although documented (17 path of Water, Saint Paul), suffers from poor accuracy according to available sources. Its approximate address, Trou d'Eau, and its Insee code (97415) attach it to the commune of Saint-Paul, in the department and region of La Réunion (974).
