HABITATION MAMIEL

Located in the commune of Les Abymes, the Mamiel dwelling is one of the few remaining vestiges of Guadeloupe's former sugar dwellings, bearing witness to the sugar industry's past. This 19th-century dwelling perfectly illustrates the Creole architecture of the period, with its three adjoining rooms linked by a gallery punctuated with cabinets, typical of sugar dwellings of the period.

The house is partially listed as a Monument Historique. The main house benefits from this protection, as do the facades and roofs of the outbuildings, as well as the water hut and kitchen that make up the whole of the morne. The site is thought to have been occupied as early as the 18th century, but it was in the following century that the present house was built.

In 1868, the creation of the Darboussier factory transformed the local sugar industry and led to the abandonment of the buildings dedicated to sugarcane processing. Sugar production ceased. The building was bought by the Darboussier factory to house its executives. Camille Dain, future mayor of Les Abymes (from 1900 to 1934), lived there at the time. In the garden, remnants of the old factory buildings and machinery still bear witness to this era.

With urbanization having played a major role in the disappearance of many sugar estates, the Mamiel dwelling remains a precious witness to Guadeloupe's built heritage. Both a place of memory and a rare example of Creole architecture, it deserves to be known and preserved.