Guyonneau Plantation

Architecture - Deshaies

This Grande Anse sugar plantation was founded in the 18th century by the Guyonneau family. It was subsequently acquired by Joseph Caillou, the first mayor of Deshaies in 1838. Once a distillery, this building was converted into a simple home, oriented to take advantage of the sea breezes. This type of house was common in the region: simple proportions, straight lines, gallery with three-centered ( “basket”) arch. A tree-lined drive across the grounds leads to the vestiges of the sugar factory, with the well-preserved arch of an aqueduct that was used to drive the cane mill. A reservoir in the garden held water collected from the Mitan River, which was distributed around the plantation via a system of canals. Several of the canals were covered over in the early 20th century.