PETITE RIVIÈRE DE L'ARTIBONITE
Palais de la Belle Rivière (aka, Palais de 365 Portes)
This is one of King Henri Christophe’s palaces (it does not, alas, have 365 doors–or windows for that matter). The pictures at the end of this gallery are from 1996, after an IOM-financed rehabilitation. After the rehab, this site was host to a school, dispensary, NGO offices, etc. At the time of these photos (2007), much of the exterior (mostly the roof) and interior had been destroyed by a storm. The magistrate had locked it up to protect it while funding is found for rehabilitation. Although barbed wire was on many windows, there were still a number of openings, which allowed people to enter and graffiti the interior walls. ISPAN has a great article on this site in their 2009 bulletin # 5 (link to all bulletins here). I'd be curious about any updates.
La Crête à Pierrot
The fort was held by Dessalines in the 1802 siege by the French. See this map for a detailed view of the battle. The small building within may be the old powder magazine. It was locked during my last visit (2007), and a woman who cleaned the area told me there were lots of djab (devils) inside. I've included several views from the fort, which emphasize its strategic importance. The Edgar La Selve manuscript, written by the Haitian professor about his countryside travels in 1871, says the fort was built by Laplaine Sterling and Guy the Elder; at the time they were quarreling with Borel (for whom the nearby town must be named). The text also notes that some of the fortifications were later added by Christophe, when he had his palace built below. La Selve mentions the mahogany tree in 1871 and calls it a 100-year old tree and witness to the fighting… The cannons have lots of clear detail. Of note: Nevers (probably refers to Nevers, France, where it was made);anchor and RF (I assume the RF stands for République Française). ISPAN did bulletin #22 on this site in 2011.
