Lascahobas ( ht, Laskawobas; es, Las Caobas) is a
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
located in the
Centre
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
* Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentri ...
department of
Haiti, roughly one hour east of
Mirebalais
Mirebalais ( ht, Mibalè) is a commune in the Centre department of Haiti, approximately 60 km northeast of Port-au-Prince on National Road 3. The city was established in 1702.
American Rotarians have made a number of mission-type trips t ...
, 10 minutes south of
Lac de Peligre, and one hour west of the border with the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
.
The population is about 7,574 people, as of 2012.
History and character
Lascahobas is the market town of a rural, agricultural area. Outlying villages in the area include Cohoroes, Rantamoulie, LaHoye, and Pouly (also spelled ''Poulie'' or ''Poule''), Flande, and Pareidon. The city and villages surrounding it have been the focus of missionary work by the
Episcopal Church in the early 21st Century.
["Mission from the Cathedral: Mission Trip to Haiti: Two teams over Two Weeks: School Support: medical team," ''Swan & Elk'' (newsletter of the ]Cathedral of All Saints, Albany, New York
The Cathedral of All Saints, Albany, New York, is located on Elk Street in central Albany, New York, United States. It is the central church of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany and the seat of the Episcopal Bishop of Albany. Built in the 1880s ...
), Eastertide 2013, pp. 6-7.[David J. Collum, "The Albany Mission Trip to Haiti", ''Newsletter'', Episcopal Diocese of Albany, May 2013, p. 18.]["A Mission Team returns to Haiti", ''Albany Episcopalian'', Vol. 14, No. 1, Lent 2017, p. 11.]
It was founded as ''Las Caobas'' by Spanish colonists in 1763.
Economy
Primarily agricultural, with a bustling local market and a large
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
church, the city sits on the significant
Lascahobas River.
The wealthiest business in town are agriculture development and farming.
Lascahobas has an
Episcopal church, St. Esprit (Holy Spirit), which also has a school.
As of early 2013, the
Rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of the Church of the Holy Spirit was The Rev. Jean Milor Medela; Fr. Medela also serves as priest at the Church of the Ascension in Poulie.
they were replaced by Fr. Jean Jacques Deravil.
[
The ]2010 Haiti earthquake
A catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest department, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's c ...
damaged some parts of Lascahobas, but didn't affect the ongoing installment of solar panels for electricity. In 2011, volunteers from the United States installed solar panels to allow for Internet connections. Installation was completed in early 2013.
Tourism
Vodou festivals occur regularly throughout much of the year in the surrounding hills.
Mon Fo, located on the west edge of town is the highest elevation in the area, that at some point was used as a military fort. All that remains of the fort are crumbling ruins of walls and a large cannon with a Fleur de Lis
The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol.
The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
.
Carnevale is celebrated annually in the whole town.
Transportation
Lascahobas is bisected by Route 305.
Education
There are two primary schools, one Roman Catholic and one Episcopal, in Lascahobas. Each of the four outlying villages also has a primary school operated by the Episcopal church.
References
External links
Lascahobas information
(in French Creole)
Facebook page
of Ville de Lascahobas
Solar installation in Lascahobas, Haiti
Friends of the Children of Lascahobas, Haiti website
{{Communes of Haiti
Populated places in Centre (department)
Communes of Haiti