Mille Fleurs
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Magnificent Seven is a group of seven mansions located west of the
Queen's Park Savannah Queen's Park Savannah (QPS) is a park in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Known locally as simply "the Savannah", it is Port of Spain's largest open space. It occupies about of level land, and the distance around the perimeter is about 2.2&nb ...
in northern
Port of Spain Port of Spain ( ; Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English: ''Port ah Spain'' ) is the capital and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago. With a municipal population of 49,867 (2017), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient dail ...
,
Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...
on Maraval Road in the St Clair neighborhood. They were built between 1902 and 1910 on land that was previously used as a government stock farm and are listed as heritage sites at the
National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago The National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago is managed by an eleven-member Council of different expertise and backgrounds. Five members are elected to the position, and six are ministerial appointments. Its offices are located in Port of Spain in Tri ...
. Stollmeyer's Castle was the first building in the neighborhood and took several years to complete, as was typical of the Magnificent Seven. The structures were designed in an array of architectural styles including
French Colonial French colonial architecture includes several styles of architecture used by the French during colonization. French colonial architecture has a long history, beginning in North America in 1604 and being most active in the Western Hemisphere (Car ...
,
Scottish baronial Scottish baronial or Scots baronial is an architectural style of 19th-century Gothic Revival which revived the forms and ornaments of historical architecture of Scotland in the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. Reminiscent of Scot ...
,
Indian Empire Indian Empire may refer to: * Maurya Empire (322 BCE – 185 BCE) * Gupta Empire ( 240– 550) * Chola Empire (848–1279) * Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526) * Mughal Empire (1526–1857) * Sur Empire (1538–1555) * Maratha Empire (1674–1818) * ...
, and
Moorish The term Moor is an exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a single, distinct or self-defi ...
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
styles—often blended with Caribbean architecture. Many have unusual elements, like the chiming clock and lighted clock tower of
Queen's Royal College Queen's Royal College (St Clair, Port of Spain, St.Clair, Trinidad), referred to for short as QRC, or "The College" by alumni, is a secondary school in Trinidad and Tobago. Originally a boarding school and grammar school, the Secularity, secular c ...
. Stollmeyer's Castle is said to be modeled after a wing of
Balmoral Castle Balmoral Castle () is a large estate house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and a residence of the British royal family. It is near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and west of Aberdeen. The estate and its original castle were bought ...
. Hayes Court, a
French Colonial French colonial architecture includes several styles of architecture used by the French during colonization. French colonial architecture has a long history, beginning in North America in 1604 and being most active in the Western Hemisphere (Car ...
style building, has contemporary
Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content of more than 2% and silicon content around 1–3%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloying elements determine the form in which its car ...
elements and traditional
Demerara window Demerara windows were built primarily into 18th- and 19th-century Colonial architecture-styled buildings to cool homes in hot climates, such as Guyana, before the invention of air conditioning. Demerara is a historical region of Guyana. The win ...
s. White Hall is made of natural white
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
of Barbados. Some of the structures were made of imported materials, like
Italian marble The following is a list of various types of marble according to location. (NB: Marble-like stone which is not true marble according to geologists is included, but is indicated by ''italics'' with geologic classification given as footnote. Africa ...
and Scottish cast iron elements. Most were originally built as residences and kept within families for decades. Archbishop's House was built as, and remains, the official residence of the Archbishop of Port of Spain. The Anglican Bishop to Trinidad resided in Hayes Court.
Queen's Royal College Queen's Royal College (St Clair, Port of Spain, St.Clair, Trinidad), referred to for short as QRC, or "The College" by alumni, is a secondary school in Trinidad and Tobago. Originally a boarding school and grammar school, the Secularity, secular c ...
was built as a secondary school for boys. White Hall was used as the Office of the Prime Minister from 1963 to 2009. White Hall and Stollmeyer's Castle fall under the purview of the Office of the Prime Minister. The two buildings had restoration work so that they could be used by foreign dignitaries visiting Port of Spain. Both buildings were commandeered by the
United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...
during World War II. Most of the Magnificent Seven Houses retain the aesthetics of the original designs. Of the buildings, Milles Fleur is the one most in disrepair due to extended periods where it was not occupied or maintained.


Overview

The properties are listed by the
National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago The National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago is managed by an eleven-member Council of different expertise and backgrounds. Five members are elected to the position, and six are ministerial appointments. Its offices are located in Port of Spain in Tri ...
as examples of the "city's remarkable architectural heritage." Some of the buildings are in good condition, but others have been in need of repair, like Mille Fleurs, which was beginning to be restored in 2015. This period of construction of the Magnificent Seven occurred just after the turn of the 20th-century, following a "disastrous" fire of 1895 in Port of Spain, after which non-flammable materials like metal, concrete, and cast iron were used in the construction new buildings. George Brown of the Trinidad Trading Company, who built Mille Fleurs, did much of the rebuilding after the fire and is responsible for much of the metalwork used in the city at that time.


Buildings


Queen's Royal College

Queen's Royal College, a National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago listed building, was built on the corner of St Clair Avenue and Maraval Road beginning 11 November 1902, when the foundation stone was placed by the
acting governor An acting governor is a person who acts in the role of governor. In Commonwealth jurisdictions where the governor is a vice-regal position, the role of "acting governor" may be filled by a lieutenant governor (as in most Australian states) or a ...
of the day, Sir Courtney Knollys. Daniel Meinerts Hahn, a former student of Queen's Royal College at the Princes Building, designed the
German Renaissance The German Renaissance, part of the Northern Renaissance, was a cultural and artistic movement that spread among German thinkers in the 15th and 16th centuries, which developed from the Italian Renaissance. Many areas of the arts and sciences ...
style building, which includes a chiming clock and lighted clock tower. He was the chief draughtsman of the Public Works Department. According to the National Trust, "Queen's Royal College is considered to be the most striking of the buildings of the Magnificent Seven." The secondary school, designed with a tropical interior, was built with six classrooms and a lecture hall for 500 people. Less than 200 students attended the school each year. As of 2016, the building is being restored, including the classroom's hand-painted murals. It is listed as heritage site and protected under the National Trust Act.


Hayes Court

Hayes Court, at 21 Maraval Road, was built as a residence for the Anglican Bishop to Trinidad. An anonymous gift was made in 1908 by two men to pay for the construction of the building, which was built in a
French Colonial French colonial architecture includes several styles of architecture used by the French during colonization. French colonial architecture has a long history, beginning in North America in 1604 and being most active in the Western Hemisphere (Car ...
architectural style. The design incorporates contemporary Scottish cast iron elements in decorative beams and columns for the veranda, which wrap around all but the west side of the house. On the western façade of the building are traditional
Demerara window Demerara windows were built primarily into 18th- and 19th-century Colonial architecture-styled buildings to cool homes in hot climates, such as Guyana, before the invention of air conditioning. Demerara is a historical region of Guyana. The win ...
s. The mansion was designed by Taylor and Gillies and completed in 1910. The residence was named for Bishop Thomas Hayes, who served as archbishop in Trinidad and Tobago from 1889 to 1904. Right Reverend John Francis Welsh was the first resident. It is listed as heritage site and protected under the National Trust Act.


Mille Fleurs

Mille Fleurs at 23 Maraval Road was built and named by the wife of Dr Enrique Prada (1867–1944) in 1904. Dr Prada oversaw the construction of the
French Provincial ''French Provincial'' () is a 1975 French drama film directed by André Téchiné, starring Jeanne Moreau, Michel Auclair and Marie-France Pisier. The film presents an overview of French life and politics though the changes within one family in so ...
house by George Brown of the Trinidad Trading Company. The Pradas lived in the house until 1923, when they sold it to Joseph Salvatori. It remained in the family until the Salvatori's daughter, Mrs Pierre Lelong sold it to George Malouk in 1973. He sold it to the government of Trinidad and Tobago in June 1979. It served several purposes over the years and then was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture until June 2000, when it was assigned to the Ministry of Environment. The National Trust states, "Although Mille Fleurs is less ostentatious as some of its neighbours, the quality of finish and detailing is perhaps of a far higher quality; the intricately carved balusters and the marble treads and risers to both the main and secondary staircases, the elaborate cast iron columns and brackets." However, after a period of time when it was not occupied or maintained, it deteriorated significantly. It has since been restored, and in August 2020 it was handed over to the National Trust. It is listed as a heritage site and protected under the National Trust Act.


Ambard's House

At 25 Maraval Road is Ambard's House, built by Lucien F Ambard who the
French Second Empire The Second French Empire, officially the French Empire, was the government of France from 1852 to 1870. It was established on 2 December 1852 by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, president of France under the French Second Republic, who proclaimed hi ...
style house designed by a French architect. He had it constructed in 1904, using wood from the Ambard family estate in Erin for the rafters. He also imported Scottish cast iron elements, Italian marble, and French tiles for its construction. Ambard lost the house to the Gordon Grant and Company in 1919, when he was unable to make the mortgage payments. It was inhabited by an American, William Pettigrew Humphrey, and his family from 1925 to 1940. The house was purchased from Humphrey by Timothy Roodal and it has stayed within the family. It is now the home of Roodal's granddaughter, Dr Yvonne Morgan and her family, and is now also called Roomor House, based upon a combination of the Roodal and Morgan family names. The house has been well-maintained and true to the original design. It is listed as a heritage site and protected under the National Trust Act.


Archbishop's Palace

The Archbishop's House, at 27 Maraval Road, is the official residence of the Archbishop of Port of Spain, which, as of 2016, is The Most Reverend Joseph Everard Harris, CSSP. It was built in 1903 by Patrick Vincent Flood, the Fifth Archbishop of Port of Spain. At that time other residences were being built on Maraval Road by wealthy
French Creoles The French Louisianians (), also known as Louisiana French, are French people native to the U.S., states that were established out of French Louisiana. They are commonly referred to as French Creole peoples, Creoles ().Bernard, Shane K"Creoles", ...
. The building, designed by an Irish architect in an
Indian Empire Indian Empire may refer to: * Maurya Empire (322 BCE – 185 BCE) * Gupta Empire ( 240– 550) * Chola Empire (848–1279) * Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526) * Mughal Empire (1526–1857) * Sur Empire (1538–1555) * Maratha Empire (1674–1818) * ...
architectural style, had a chapel and
sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is us ...
on the first floor. A porch wraps around the building. On the east façade, there is a
porte-cochère A porte-cochère (; ; ; ) is a doorway to a building or courtyard, "often very grand," through which vehicles can enter from the street or a covered porch-like structure at a main or secondary entrance to a building through which originally a ho ...
with wide bay and six additional, narrower bays. The west side has nine bays, and there are six bays on the south and north façades. The property had a summer house and stables, which was accessed by an extended gallery on the west side of the main building. The construction was completed in 1904 by George Brown of the Trinidad Trading Company. It was remodeled extensively from 1968 to 1969, based upon the architectural design of Sonny Sellier. A chancery was built in the west side of the building and a new apartment was built at the site of a summer house and stables. In some cases, the renovations deviated from the original aesthetic of the architectural design. For instance, aluminum sliding doors replaced the double wooden doors on the ground floor. The contractor was Rev Father Kevin Devenish. Monsignor Anthony Pantin, the first Trinidadian-born Archbishop, lived in the house after the renovation was completed in 1969. It is listed as heritage site and protected under the National Trust Act.


Whitehall

White Hall, located at 29 Maraval Road, is the largest residence on the street and is the current Office of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Originally known as Rosenweg, it was built by Joseph Leon Agostini, a cocoa planter, who designed the home himself. Agostini's family was from
Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...
, and the influence is reflected in the house's
Moorish The term Moor is an exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a single, distinct or self-defi ...
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
inspired architecture. Construction began in 1904, by James Moore of Barbados, and it took three years to complete the project, except for the roof that was not completed until 1910. The exterior was built using white limestone from Barbados. It was a three-storied building with four reception halls, a library, drawing room, wine cellars, and large galleries. There were six bedroom suites with large dressing rooms and advanced, modern bathrooms. The house had long corridors, wide-sweeping marble staircases, and a service lift between floors. Agostini died in 1906, but his family occupied the house until they were unable to make payments on the mortgage and it was foreclosed by William Gordon Grant in 1910, according to the National Trust. Some believe that the Agostinis never lived in White Hall, because the cocoa industry, which was strong when construction began, collapsed while the house was being built. An American, Robert Henderson, purchased the house and renamed it White Hall, for the coral stone exterior of the building. The National Trust states that he added a "delightful variety in the furnishings of the interior was added to the refined dignity of the exterior." Henderson's heirs, the Seigert family, possessed the house until World War II, when it was commandeered by the
United States Forces United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
as the Air Raid Precaution headquarters. It was rented for use as a cultural centre by the
British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...
in 1944. Although it was returned to the Hendersons after the war, they never lived in it again. It was then rented for a number of purposes—including public libraries, National Archives, and Government Broadcasting Unit—until 1949. It was not used again until it was purchased by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in 1954. It was used by the Pre-Federal Interim Government in 1957, before the formation in 1958 of the
West Indies Federation The West Indies Federation, also known as the West Indies, the Federation of the West Indies or the West Indian Federation, was a short-lived political union that existed from 3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962. Various islands in the Caribbean th ...
. Hon. Dr.
Eric Williams Eric Eustace Williams (25 September 1911 – 29 March 1981) was a Trinidad and Tobago politician. He has been dubbed as the " Father of the Nation", having led the then-British Colony of Trinidad and Tobago to majority rule on 28 October 1956, ...
, Trinidad and Tobago's first
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
, used it as the Office of the Prime Minister from 1963 to 2009. During that time, there was a restoration of the building in 2000. It is listed as heritage site and protected under the National Trust Act. Beginning about 2008, the Urban Development Corporation (UDeCOTT) renovated the building so that it could be used by visiting foreign dignitaries.


Stollmeyer's Castle

Stollmeyer's Castle, also called Killarney, is a Scottish Baronial style residence located at 31 Maraval Road. Built on land that was previously used as the government stock farm, it was the first residence built in the St Clair neighborhood. It is named for Charles Fourier Stollmeyer, who hired the Scottish architect Robert Gillies to design the house, which is said to be patterned after a wing of
Balmoral Castle Balmoral Castle () is a large estate house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and a residence of the British royal family. It is near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and west of Aberdeen. The estate and its original castle were bought ...
. The two-year construction project began in 1902. When his wife said that she preferred a simpler home, Stollmeyer gave the house to his son, Conrad. His wife named it for
Killarney Killarney ( ; , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Killar ...
, Ireland. The property, like White Hall, was commandeered by the United States Forces, who called it "The Castle", during World War II. It then began to be called Stollmeyer's Castle. After the war, it stayed within the Stollmeyer family until 1972, when it was bought by an insurance executive, Jessy Henry A Mahabir. Seven years later, the government of Trinidad and Tobago owned the building. In the late 1990s, the Citizens for Conservation restored the building. It is under the care of the Office of the Prime Minister, and is a heritage site that is protected under the National Trust Act. A restoration project began in 2008 to ensure that the structure passed updated building codes and was restored for use by visiting foreign dignitaries.


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

* *


External links

*
Magnificent Seven
Citizens For Conservation Trinidad & Tobago
National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago, Heritage Sites


{{coord, 10.671, -61.519, display=title Buildings and structures in Port of Spain History of Port of Spain Tourist attractions in Port of Spain