Habitation Fond Rousseau is a little-known historical site in the commune of Schœlcher. Formerly known as Fond Plumet, it owes its name to Charles Rousseau, one of whose distillation column was brought to the Habitation after the eruption of Montagne Pelée in 1902.
History
Schœlcher is a commune in the heart of Martinique. It is located east of Fort-de-France, west of Case-Pilote and south of Morne-Vert and Fonds-Saint-Denis. His name is of course a tribute to Victor Schœlcher, Under-Secretary of State for the Navy and the Colonies in the Government of François Arago, he is the initiator of the decree on the abolition of slavery of April 27, 1848. The abolition of slavery took place before the planned date, namely May 22, 1848 following a slave revolt. Previously during colonization its name was Case des Navires (meaning Ship Hut) which subsequently became simply Case-Navire.
When the colonists settled in Martinique in 1635, they encountered strong resistance from the island's Caribbean inhabitants. They decided to divide up the island, and the colonists obtained the eastern part, on the Caribbean side, while the former inhabitants settled on the Atlantic coast and in the south of the island. Saint-Pierre served as the colonists' pied-à-terre, and they gradually established small hamlets to the south of the island, culminating in Fort-Royal (the former name of Fort-de-France) in 1669. From its heights, it was possible to observe European adversaries approaching the island to attack the French in their mad race to conquer territory in America.
It was at this time that the commune of Schoelcher saw its first settlers. Case-Navire was the name of what is now the town of Schœlcher. Case-Navire was linked to Case-Pilote and Fort-Royal. The first place of worship was established in 1760 at the mouth of the Case-Navire river, before a chapel was built in 1848. Two years later, on September 27, 1850, Abbé Morel was appointed priest of the church, and three years later the church became a parish.
The territory of Case-Navire was then detached from Fort-de-France, and Anse Madame and the Fonds Lahaye district were added in 1878.
Fields of various crops (mulberry, tobacco, coffee, cocoa and above all sugar cane) were planted throughout the Caribbean zone, with the aim of exporting them to Europe. Settlements sprang up, notably in Fond Plumet, renamed Habitation Fond Rousseau after the eruption of Mount Pelée. They quickly became prosperous due to the strong demand for sugar and then rum in Europe.
On March 24, 1888, Schœlcher was separated from Case-Pilote and Fort-de-France to form an independent commune, and it was in recognition of the abolitionist Victor Schœlcher that its inhabitants decided to rename it Schœlcher. Michel Alexandre became the commune's first mayor.
Subsequently, the Habitations located in the town experienced ups and downs depending on the demand for sugar or rum. At the beginning of the 20th century, these distilleries produced mostly agricultural rum, until the end of the Second World War, when demand dropped sharply. None of the distilleries in the town of Schœlcher survived the post-war sugar and rum crisis. The economic development policies launched after the island's departmentalization would accelerate the urban transformation of the region in the heart of Martinique.
Economy
Schœlcher is best known as the home of the University of Martinique. Thousands of local, European (ERASMUS) and international students study here every day. Many have even chosen to live here (either on site in the boarding school) in order to avoid transport problems between home and their place of study.
On the outskirts of Fort-de-France, Schœlcher has developed economically over the years, welcoming a number of first-rate businesses, including three hypermarkets (Batelière, Rond-Point, Cluny) and several supermarkets. In a bid to relieve congestion in the capital Fort-de-France, many service businesses have also chosen the area as the location for their offices. In fact, services are the commune's leading economic sector.
Martinique's only cinema complex, the Cinéma Madiana, was built here in 1998. Equipped with 10 large air-conditioned cinemas with ergonomic seats, restaurants, snack bars and other areas capable of hosting lounges and forums, it occupies a central position for the entire population of Martinique.
In terms of tourism, it boasts a major hotel with its own beach, the Hôtel Batelière, known not only for welcoming tourists looking to be in the economic heart of the island, but also for its business clientele and numerous events (themed trade fairs, works council receptions).
Several types of fishing are practiced here, such as seine fishing in Madiana, Le Bourg, Anse Madame, Anse Collat and Fond Lahaye, net fishing for balarou and lobster all along the coast, trap fishing between Fort-de-France and Case-Pilote, bottom net fishing all along the coast and offshore fishing in Miquelon. You'll find mackerel, coulirous, king mackerel, bonito, balarous, herring, jacks, yellow sardines, marlin, tuna, swordfish and shark for sale if you go near the coastal zone. In economic terms, fishing remains a minority occupation for the inhabitants of Schœlcher, and fewer than a hundred Schœlcher residents claim to be professional fishermen.
With 4.4 km of coastline stretching from Fond Batelière to Fond Bernier, Schœlcher is also a benchmark town for water sports. Numerous local and even national competitions are held on the Anse Madame waterway (windsurfing, optimists, swimming), which has enabled the town to be awarded the Station Nautique label in 2010 and to join the national France Station Nautique network. Capitalizing on this national recognition, the town has done everything in its power to promote tourism on its territory.
Agriculture as an economic activity remains in the background.
Neighborhoods
The municipality's main districts are Anse Collat, Anse-Madame, Batelière, Batterie, Bourg, Case Navire, Démarche, Enclos, Fond Batelière, Fond Bernier, Fond Lahayé, Grand Paradis, La Colline, Madiana, Petit-Paradis, Plateau-Fofo, Ravine Touza et Terreville.
