The earthquake of January 12 this year was not only one of the biggest catastrophes that ever beset the Caribbean in numbers of human life lost but also a nearly total annihilation of perhaps the most important architectural heritage of our region: The Haitian Gingerbread House.

There were hundreds of these wonderful, historic houses in Port-au-Prince and many dozens in Jacmel and Cap-Haitian.
The colorful Gingerbread architecture with their cornices, balconies and verandas are works of art. They even surpass Haiti’s internationally renowned naļve paintings.
They have charm and beauty and represent a Caribbean that everybody is looking for but that hardly can be found anywhere anymore.
The origins of the Haitian Gingerbread houses and mansions can be traced to the Paris World Exposition of 1900 and from architectonical styles that were popular in New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 1800’s.
The term “Gingerbread” refers to stripes of ornately carved designs used along roof ledges, which give the effect of lace trim.

With the invention of the turning lathe a new style emerged: “Carpenter Gothic”, and achieved popularity throughout The United States. Much later Carpenter Gothic became known as Gingerbread Style.
Haiti was making an effort to stimulate her cultural development after the very violent revolution of 1804, when it gained independence from France, becoming the first Black State in the Western Hemisphere.
Architecture both in Haiti and abroad was then being used as a way to express one’s individuality.
Haiti’s major cities all had their own variation of the Gingerbread style and no two were alike. In Port-au-Prince the houses were built, using both wood and brick. The yellow brick used for the constructions had originally served as ballast for the sailing ships coming to collect Haiti’s “treasures” coffee, sugar, sisal and molasses.

The ground floor of these magnificent buildings, originally was used as shops or offices and the upper floors were living space.
The houses appear on first view decorative rather than practical, however much thought went into the design. The houses of Haiti were light and airy and took advantage of the prevailing winds. The high ceilings, windows and doors, which open onto wide, covered balconies permit the breezes to circulate freely.
Of the many architects building in Haiti at the time, most of them living and studying in Paris before returning to Haiti, three of the most influential in the Gingerbread Style were Leon Mathon (1873 – 1954), George Baussan (1875 – 1958) and Eugene Maximilien (1875 – 1950).
George Baussan, the son of a Senator, became one of the most celebrated architects of his time; he designed among many other official buildings the National Palace, probably the most famous and photographed non-human victim of last month earthquake.
The Gingerbread houses that were still standing before the earthquake were between sixty and a hundred years old. Much of this architectural heritage had fallen into despair before the quake struck.
Further, the Gingerbread houses of Haiti were long before the quake an endangered species, now so sadly, they have become nearly an extinct one.

Hopefully some of the relief money that flows into Haiti can help to repair and maintain these magnificent houses, the very few still existing, to preserve outstanding examples of this uniquely Haitian style for future generations to cherish and stimulate Caribbean culture at its very best!
Fortunately, the perhaps quintessence of the Haitian Gingerbread architecture, the Grand Oloffson Hotel, is still standing.

Designed in 1887 and built for the son of President Tyresis Sam, this mansion, became a hospital in 1916 during the US Marine occupation. In 1936 it became a hotel and was finally taken over by Al Seitz in 1959. There and then, Al and Sue Seitz created one of the most outstanding, unique and charming hotels in the Caribbean, which lasted for over 25 years.
A little anecdote to the many connections between Haiti and Anguilla:
After the death of Al Seitz in the mid 80’s, Sue Seitz came to Anguilla to set up a gallery in the Koal Keel, one of the few historic architectonical jewels of our island.
I met Sue Seitz in the Oloffson in the mid 70’s and was very pleased, when she choose, to come with all her knowledge and style to Anguilla, and to the very building that the Gumbs family allowed me to revive in 1986. From the beginning the Warden’s Place, which became the Koal Keel complex, was a labor of love for everyone who was involved with it.

Susan Seitz left Anguilla a few years later but came back a second time to be associated with the then Rendezvous Bay Hotel and the Koal Keel.
Nowadays she lives in Miami.
I was very glad to hear that the Oloffson survived the earthquake and is still standing.

The beautiful staircase and its magnificent wall though collapsed during the happenings of January 12 and sadly buried several victims underneath it.
Let’s be hopeful, in all this gloom that has befallen Haiti, that the renewed international interest in this stricken island can also help to conserve a few of the remaining Gingerbread houses, and so bridge the past and the future and conserve this typical Haitian Style.
The sheer number of these colorful houses was fascinating once. The very few that can be preserved now are “pearls in the ruins” in the truest sense.

Adrian Kobbe is a local designer specialized in classic West Indian Style architecture.

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