Downtown Port-au-Prince

Downtown Port-au-Prince (French: Centre-ville de Port-au-Prince; also called La Ville or bas de la ville) is the central district and historic core of Haiti’s capital city. The area is the birthplace of Port-au-Prince, and in the 18th and 19th centuries it formed the city in its entirety. Downtown Port-au-Prince serves as the administrative, political, and cultural seat of both the Port-au-Prince commune and, effectively, the Haitian state, hosting many of the country’s most important public institutions, ministries, courts, and national landmarks.

Although population figures vary due to the district’s lack of strict municipal boundaries, several estimates indicate that Downtown Port-au-Prince is among the densest urban zones in the Caribbean, with close to one million residents, commuters, and street vendors concentrated within approximately 25.3 km² (9.8 sq mi). The district has continued to change rapidly in recent decades through housing development, commercial expansion, historic rehabilitation efforts, and shifts in street-level commerce.

Geographically, Downtown encompasses the low coastal plain along Port-au-Prince Bay, bounded by Croix-des-Bossales to the northwest, Bel-Air and Fort National to the northeast, Bois Verna and Turgeau to the east, and the Bolosse–Martissant corridor to the south and southwest. Anchored by its national government center, major markets, port facilities, and cultural institutions, Downtown Port-au-Prince has long served as the political, economic, and symbolic capital of Haiti—a district central to the country’s revolutionary origins, its early republican institutions, and its modern public life.

A hub of history, culture, and tourism, Downtown Port-au-Prince is home to many of Haiti’s most iconic spaces, including Champ de Mars, Place Pétion, the remains of the National Palace, the Marché en Fer, the Cathedral district, and national institutions such as MUPANAH, the Court of Cassation, and the Palais des Ministères. Its public squares, promenades, and markets form a continuous civic landscape that has shaped Haitian identity for more than two and a half centuries.

Miss Haiti Claudinette Fouchard-Ebony 1960 Haiti History, Vintage Black Glamour, Ebony Magazine

Neighboring Areas[]

Southwest Boul. Harry S. Truman	South Morne-à-Tuf	Southeast Champs de Mars
	North Portail Saint-Joseph	Northeast Bel-Air
~~West~~ Port-au-Prince Bay	Downtown _{Port-au-Prince}	East Fort National

The name of Port-au-Prince is attributed to Charl evoix, who reported it from the ship Le Prince, captained by André, which docked in this port in 1706. According to the Count of Estére, another account suggests that the name derives from the islets located within the port, known as Ilets du Prince, as recorded in 1860. Initially, the founder, Mr. de la Caze, referred to it as l'Hopital (the Hospital).

History[]

Pre-Colonial (Before 1492)[]

Before the establishment of Port-au-Prince, the area now known as Downtown lay within the western edge of a vast Taíno cultural landscape that extended across the Cul-de-Sac plain and the bay. The plain formed part of the Kingdom of Xaragua—the most refined, populous, and politically influential of the island’s five major kingdoms. Xaragua, centered further west around modern Léogâne, was celebrated in Spanish chronicles for its courtly culture, sophisticated agricultural practices, and dense settlement patterns that extended eastward toward the Cul-de-Sac and modern Lake Azuei.

Although archaeological research in the Port-au-Prince region is limited, early chroniclers described numerous Taíno villages around Lake Azuei and the coastal plain, suggesting a long-standing indigenous presence on the lands that would later become Port-au-Prince's urban core. As late as 1515, Spanish observers still reported large lakeside villages, some capable of hosting more than a thousand residents, supported by nearby fisheries, fertile soils, salt flats, and irrigated fields.

Xaragua’s prosperity came from a combination of environmental abundance and political organization. The region’s villages enjoyed access to freshwater lakes, wetlands, coastal fisheries, and arable plains, which enabled extensive production of cotton, cassava, and batata (sweet potato). Chroniclers further noted that Xaragua may have practiced organized irrigation—possibly unique among the major Taíno chiefdoms—allowing higher food yields and denser populations across the Cul-de-Sac plain.

This agricultural surplus sustained a prominent noble class (nitaínos) and a cadre of skilled artisans. Xaragua was recognized for producing the island’s finest cotton textiles, beautifully carved wooden duhos (ritual seats), and other high-value ceremonial goods, with a culture that radiated influence across the region. Trade routes likely linked the Cul-de-Sac plain to coastal ports and neighboring chiefdoms, with canoes moving cotton, pottery, cassava, salt, and ceremonial objects between villages.

While much of this indigenous landscape now lies beneath the modern street grid of Port-au-Prince, scholars believe that undiscovered Taíno sites may still lie under areas of Downtown PAP, Léogâne, and the coastal plain, potentially including village remains, irrigation works, or batey plazas. The depth of this indigenous past underscores that the capital’s earliest history is rooted not in colonial sugar estates alone, but in a thriving Taíno world whose political center, artistic traditions, and agricultural wealth shaped the land centuries before the city’s founding.

After the decline of the Taíno world, much of Hispaniola entered a long period of neglect. Spain shifted its attention to wealthier colonies in Mexico (1521) and South America (Peru 1530s, and New Granada (Colombia)), leaving both the eastern and western regions sparsely populated. But while the east retained a few struggling cattle towns under loose Spanish rule, the western coast was almost entirely abandoned. This vacuum allowed French buccaneers and planters to settle the area during the 1600s, eventually forming the colony of Saint-Domingue. By the early 18th century (1700s), France had secured the western part of the island, and the fertile Cul-de-Sac plain—together with its sheltered bay—became the ideal site for a new administrative town: Port-au-Prince, founded in 1749.

Colonial Era (1492-1791)[]

In the centuries following the Spanish conquest, the Cul-de-Sac plain and the bay that now frame Downtown Port-au-Prince became a strategic but sparsely developed frontier at the edge of Hispaniola’s western sphere. After the collapse and depopulation of Xaragua, much of the region fell under shifting colonial control, used intermittently for cattle grazing, small coastal posts, and informal trading points as French buccaneers and settlers expanded westward during the 1600s. For much of the 17th century, the bay served as a quiet anchorage—valuable for its shelter and its proximity to the fertile plain, but lacking a formal urban center.

That began to change as French Saint-Domingue took shape. By the early 18th century, colonial administrators recognized the economic and geographic advantages of the Cul-de-Sac plain, whose sugar and livestock estates supplied nearby ports and whose inland roads connected easily to Léogâne, Croix-des-Bouquets, and the northern corridors of the colony. As early as 1724, officials proposed creating a new administrative town on the bay to better manage the growing colonial population and centralize governmental functions away from older coastal settlements.

The plan materialized in 1749, when the French formally founded Port-au-Prince on land formerly belonging to the Randot habitation, a plantation positioned just north of today’s Rue du Port. This first nucleus—later remembered as the “ancient town”—consisted of a small port, a handful of warehouses, a military post, and the earliest civic buildings arranged along a simple grid. Expansion soon followed: when colonial authorities pushed development southward from the harbor, they did so across the neighboring Morel habitation, laying out new streets, markets, and residential blocks that would become the heart of Downtown Port-au-Prince.

Port-au-Prince quickly assumed a role that older colonial towns had struggled to maintain. Its central location—situated between the northern, southern, and western provinces—made it an ideal relay point for communications, troop movement, and trade. Its proximity to the Cul-de-Sac plain ensured a continuous flow of food, cattle, raw materials, and plantation goods into the growing port. And its sheltered bay facilitated regular shipping to Cap-Français, Jérémie, Léogâne, and the wider Caribbean.

By the late 18th century, Port-au-Prince had evolved into the administrative capital of French Saint-Domingue’s western province, hosting the governor’s residence, the intendant’s offices, and the colony’s principal military installations. Downtown’s streets filled with warehouses, merchant houses, government bureaus, barracks, stables, and shops catering to the bustling maritime trade. The population mixed enslaved Africans, free people of color, French officials, artisans, sailors, and merchants, producing a compact but vibrant urban world.

Yet beneath this growing colonial city lay layers of tension. The same grid that structured Downtown Port-au-Prince also mirrored the plantation order that powered it, drawing labor and wealth from the enslaved population of the surrounding plain. Physical disasters only intensified the strain. Shortly after its establishment, the area was struck by an earthquake in 1751, prompting the idea to construct buildings solely from wood. A more severe earthquake on June 3, 1770, led the colonial government to mandate that all residents must build their homes using wood. Additionally, this unfortunate city frequently suffered from devastating fires, the frequency of which is immeasurable. Notable incidents include the fires in Saint-Pierre in 1784, and on November 21, 1794.

By 1791, on the eve of the Haitian Revolution, Downtown Port-au-Prince stood as a paradox: a young colonial capital built atop former Taíno lands, enriched by plantation wealth, shaped by its strategic geography, and increasingly shaken by the contradictions of the slave society that sustained it. Its streets—laid out on the Randot and Morel habitations—would soon become battlegrounds, assembly grounds, and sites of revolutionary transformation as Haiti’s fight for independence erupted across the colony.

Revolution (1791-1804)[]

When the Haitian Revolution erupted in 1791, the region stood at the crossroads of a collapsing colonial order. What had been a young but ambitious administrative capital quickly became one of the most fiercely contested urban theaters of the revolution.

A city shaken by uprisings, fires, and siege[]

Years before full-scale war reached the West Province, downtown Port-au-Prince had already been battered by unrest: uprisings by free people of color, white militia crackdowns, and devastating fires scarred its wooden streets throughout the late 1700s. The city’s tightly packed colonial grid, full of warehouses, barracks, slave pens, and merchant houses, made it especially vulnerable. By the time revolutionary forces mobilized after 1791, Port-au-Prince was already a symbol of political fragility.

Throughout the revolutionary decade, Port-au-Prince’s name changed as often as its rulers:

Port-au-Prince — the original French name, possibly derived from the ship Le Prince or from the nearby Îlets du Prince.
L’Hôpital — an early name used by founder de la Caze, because of a hospital established there by French settlers.
Port-aux-Crimes (1793) — renamed by freedwomen and free people of color who fled discrimination from the white population and resettled elsewhere, denouncing the violence and racial hierarchy of the town they left behind.
Port-Républicain (1793) — renamed by Commissioner Léger-Félicité Sonthonax and then Polvérel after securing planter signatures on the declaration freeing enslaved people in the West.
Port-aux-Crimes (1806) — briefly revived by Henri Christophe amid his political struggle with Alexandre Pétion.
Port-au-Prince (1811) — permanently restored when Christophe restructured state administration.

The name of the city became a political weapon—an emblem of who controlled it, who resisted it, and what vision of Haiti was being imposed.

Battles, occupations, and shifting control[]

General Maitland meets Toussaint L'Ouverture to discuss the secret treaty.

During the Revolution, Downtown Port-au-Prince was taken, retaken, besieged, and burned multiple times. Key events include:

1791–1792: violent clashes between white colonists and free people of color shook the city; entire blocks were destroyed.
1793: Sonthonax and Polvérel besieged Port-au-Prince, forcing its surrender; fires and mass panic followed.
1794–1798: the British occupied the city as part of their campaign to crush the Revolution; their garrisons fortified the heights above town.
1798: Toussaint Louverture retook the city after an agreement with General Maitland; British troops withdraw.
1802: French forces under Leclerc captured Port-au-Prince again; attempts to restore slavery provoked fierce resistance.
1803: Dessalines laid siege to the city from positions in Turgeau; the French evacuated by October as independence forces closed in.

Throughout these years, Downtown Port-au-Prince endured bombardments, epidemics, food shortages, internal mutinies, and waves of refugees fleeing violence around the colony.

The Revolutionary capital of a reborn nation[]

When Haiti declared independence on January 1, 1804, the city—devastated, depopulated in parts, but symbolically crucial—became one of the centers from which Haiti rebuilt. Though it shared political authority with Cap-Haïtien in the early post-revolutionary years, Port-au-Prince’s strategic location ensured that it would soon re-emerge as the nation’s primary capital.

Post Independence Era (1804-1900)[]

In the aftermath of Haiti’s independence in 1804, Downtown Port-au-Prince entered a century defined by rebuilding, political rivalry, fires, sieges, and repeated attempts to shape the capital into a functioning republican center. Although the Revolution had devastated the colonial town, its geography ensured that Port-au-Prince would remain the seat of national authority. From the Dessalines era through the end of the 19th century, the city’s core evolved through cycles of destruction and renewal that left lasting marks on the urban landscape.

The Early Republic (1804–1820)[]

Immediately after independence, Dessalines reasserted control over the capital’s ruins. In March 1804, he ordered the execution of the remaining French residents of the town; he then reorganized Port-au-Prince as the administrative command post of the Western Division. The city’s name continued to shift with the political tides: during the Revolution it had been renamed Port-Républicain, before finally regaining Port-au-Prince in 1811.

The early republic brought no stability. The city endured several sieges and political confrontations:

1807: Christophe attempted to blockade Port-au-Prince by land.
1812: The northern monarch launched a major siege with over 25,000 troops and English engineers, only for his vanguard to defect to Pétion.
1815–1816: Conspiracies, plots, and attempted coups rippled through Downtown, including assassinations and executions at Morne-à-Tuf and the city gates.

Despite this turbulence, Port-au-Prince remained the seat of Pétion and later Boyer’s southern republic.

Rebuilding of a Capital / Mid-Century (1820s–1860s)[]

Additionally, this unfortunate city frequently suffered from devastating fires, the frequency of which is immeasurable. The colonial pattern of wooden construction—originally mandated after the 1770 earthquake—made the capital extraordinarily vulnerable to fire. Major incidents included the third Saint-Pierre fire (August 15, 1820), (Additionally, a hurricane struck on September 28, 1820) followed by destructive outbreaks on December 16, 1822 (Cruchon), and the Pentecôte fire of January 9, 1843. Further disasters struck on November 10, 1845, November 14, 1849 (Berthomieux), June 12, 1857 at Place Vallière (Jeanne Desvignes), February 28 and May 7 of 1865, and March 19, 1866 (JP Hepburn).

In the years that followed, fires continued to sweep through the commercial grid: September 4, 1877 (Rue Pavée), June 24, 1878 (Malary), July 4, 1879, the dual outbreaks of September 22–23, 1883 linked to the Boyer Bazelais insurrection, July 4, 1888 (the Chamber), and July 7, 1888 (Minister Artaud).

The latter two incidents led to the designation of Savane Salomon for the destroyed neighborhoods. Collectively, these incidents destroyed hundreds of structures, erased entire blocks, and forced repeated rounds of reconstruction that slowly pushed the capital toward heavier masonry, iron markets, and more formal civic squares. The cycle of fire and rebuilding became one of the defining rhythms of 19th-century Port-au-Prince.

The arsenal has suffered three explosions: on February 2, 1827, September 12, 1866, and July 6, 1908.

Public buildings rose, fell, and rose again. The National Palace—first the colonial governor’s residence—was burned in 1869 during the Cacos’ takeover, rebuilt in 1882 under ¹³President Salomon, and destroyed again in the 1912 explosion that would usher in the 20th century.

Coups, Insurrections, and Urban Upheaval[]

The 19th century left Downtown Port-au-Prince with a reputation for dramatic political conflict. Notable episodes include:

1848 coup d’état, when palace guards opened fire on assembled officials, unleashing two days of violence in the streets.
1861 Spanish naval ultimatum, demanding reparations over Dominican border actions.
1867–1869 insurrections, culminating in the siege and fall of the capital to Cacos forces under Generals Brice, Dejoie, and Boisrond-Canal.
1879 Boyer Bazelais uprising, centered on Rue Pavée.
1883 riots, during which President Salomon ordered the burning of several neighborhoods after mobs assassinated a district commander.
1888 assassination of General Séïde Télémaque, killed at Place Pétion during clashes between rival factions.

Late-Century Modernization (1880s–1900)[]

The last decades of the 1800s introduced significant modernization efforts:

The construction of the Palais des Ministères (completed 1891)
Upgraded customs facilities
Expansion of the Garde d’Haïti headquarters
Improvements to the School of Medicine, Palace of Justice, and public markets
The inauguration of the Marché Vallière iron market (1891)
Continued beautification campaigns for Place Pétion and the city’s ceremonial axis

Rue du Quai leading toward the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, photographed during the mid 1900s.

20th Century (1900-2000)[]

The 20th century transformed Downtown Port-au-Prince more dramatically than any period since its founding. Political upheavals, architectural reinventions, international interventions, and massive population growth reshaped the core of the capital, leaving behind a landscape that was at once modern, fragile, and historically layered.

The Salomon Reconstruction and the 1912 Palace Explosion (1900–1915)[]

By the turn of the century, Downtown Port-au-Prince was still recovering from the fires, coups, and block-to-block destruction that had marked the late 1800s. President Lysius Salomon’s final reconstruction campaign (1880s) had endowed the city with new masonry buildings, arcaded storefronts, and a rebuilt Presidential Palace—but that palace would not survive the new century.

Further fires occurred on October 30, 1907 (rue du Peuple), July 5, 1908 (Voltaire house), and July 10, 1908 (Grand Rue). The list of fires is too long to complete.

On August 8, 1912, during political unrest, the powder magazine beneath the palace detonated. The explosion leveled the building, shattered windows for blocks, and killed dozens, symbolizing the volatility of Haiti’s early republican era. For the next several years, the capital functioned without a formal executive residence as governments rose and fell in quick succession.

In these years, Downtown continued to expand: new customs sheds, ministry offices, and mixed commercial blocks filled the grid around Rue des Miracles, Rue Pavée, and Rue du Quai. Yet the city remained politically fragile, polarized between rival factions, and increasingly indebted to foreign banks.

The U.S. Occupation (1915–1934)[]

The assassination of President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam in July 1915 triggered the American Occupation of Haiti, a 19-year period that reshaped the region profoundly.

Urban Planning and Public Works[]

U.S. engineers and Marines introduced some of the first coordinated public-works projects in the capital:

Straightened boulevards around Champs de Mars
Tree-lined promenades and new paved streets
Underground electrical conduits and improved drainage
New police barracks, armories, and administrative buildings
The rebuilding of the National Palace, completed in 1920–1921 under architect Georges Baussan

Photographs from the 1920s show Downtown with cleaner sightlines, more formal esplanades, and a clearer civic axis running from Rue Capois to the palace.

Financial Seizure and Local Perception[]

Although the famous 1914 removal of Haiti’s gold reserves occurred months before formal occupation, the memory of U.S. Marines taking the gold aboard the USS Machias deeply shaped how residents viewed the military presence in the capital. Downtown Port-au-Prince—particularly Champs de Mars—became the visual center of occupation authority: Marines patrolled the squares, drills were held along the palace grounds, and government offices were reorganized under American supervision.

Institutional Expansion[]

During this era, several of today’s national institutions—courts, schools, treasury offices—were modernized or rebuilt. Rue des Miracles, Rue des Casernes, and the blocks around the cathedral became the administrative heart of the protectorate-style government.

After the occupation ended in 1934, successive Haitian governments continued to reshape the district. The 1930s and 1940s saw an expanding port, new customs houses, warehouse districts, and the consolidation of major ministries. The construction and renovation of prominent buildings—including the Palais National, the Palais de Justice, and the Palace of the Ministries—reinforced Downtown’s governmental identity. Cultural institutions followed: theaters, cinemas, bookstores, and cafés clustered around Rue du Quai, Rue des Miracles, and the growing Champs de Mars axis. By mid-century, Downtown had become the stage for state pageantry—National Day parades, military reviews, foreign delegations, and public ceremonies—cementing its role as Haiti’s civic front porch.

Duvalier era (1957–1986)[]

The Duvalier era (1957–1986) brought a mix of modernization and authoritarian imprint. Public plazas were refurbished, new monuments such as the Nèg Mawon were installed, and government presence expanded across the core. At the same time, the Tonton Makout and state security apparatus maintained a heavy footprint in certain blocks, especially around the Palace and key ministries. Yet despite political tensions, the 1960s–1970s were also a period of commercial vitality: the Iron Market thrived, Rue du Magasin de l’État bustled with vendors, artisans, and import shops, and cruise ships periodically docked at the port, feeding a modest but lively tourist circuit.

By the 1980s and 1990s, Downtown Port-au-Prince was its own urban world—historic, overcrowded, dynamic, and increasingly strained. Its population swelled with commuters from Delmas, Carrefour, Pétion-Ville, and the expanding northern suburbs. The port area handled heavy container traffic; Marché en Fer and Croix-des-Bossales grew into some of the Caribbean’s busiest street markets; and cultural landmarks like the Cathedral district, the old commercial arcades, and the Champs de Mars museums continued to anchor public life. Political upheavals, including the fall of Jean-Claude Duvalier in 1986 and the turbulence of the early 1990s, periodically shook the district, but they also sparked demands for civic renewal and heritage preservation.

By the end of the century, Downtown Port-au-Prince stood as the beating heart of the capital: a dense, chaotic, historic, and indispensable district—shaped by a century of fires, occupations, modernization drives, public ceremonies, political struggles, port expansion, migration flows, and unbroken street-level commerce. Far from the humble port town of 1749, it had become the symbolic and practical center of Haitian national life, carrying forward its layered history into a new millennium.

2000s and Beyond[]

The 21st century opened with Downtown Port-au-Prince standing at another crossroads: politically contested, commercially indispensable, culturally vibrant, and physically strained by decades of limited investment. The early 2000s saw cycles of political instability, mass demonstrations, and leadership changes ripple through the capital. Downtown remained the stage on which the nation’s constitutional battles played out—from the fall of governments to the gatherings in the Champ de Mars, the Palais des Ministères, and in front of Parliament. Yet even amid turbulence, the district continued to anchor national commerce: ports expanded container operations, informal markets grew in scale, and new private buses and tap-taps funneled tens of thousands of workers into the city center each day.

The January 12, 2010 earthquake marked the most devastating transformation in Downtown’s modern history. Much of the district’s historic and institutional core—already shaped by earlier disasters—collapsed in seconds. The National Palace, the Cathedral, government ministries, cultural institutions, schools, and countless residential blocks were either destroyed or rendered unusable. Champ de Mars became a massive camp for displaced families; the Iron Market suffered severe damage before being rebuilt; and the district’s already-dense street life intensified under the weight of crisis. For Downtown Port-au-Prince, the earthquake was not only a physical rupture but a demographic and administrative one, dispersing residents, displacing state functions, and accelerating an urban shift toward peripheral zones.

The decade that followed was defined by recovery efforts, reconstruction debates, and civic struggles. Some flagship structures—like the Marché en Fer and parts of the administrative quarter—were restored or rebuilt, while others remained ruins or open lots. New ministries and public buildings rose outside the district, reducing the concentration of state power Downtown for the first time in two centuries. Yet the streets of La Ville retained their commercial gravity: Croix-des-Bossales revived its wholesale activity, informal vending intensified across Boulevard La Saline, and Downtown continued to function as the central hinge between port operations, transportation corridors, and the wider metropolitan economy.

From the mid-2010s onward, Downtown entered a new era of social pressure and insecurity, shaped by gang rivalries, declining state presence, and the gradual erosion of formal institutions. Neighborhoods at the northern and western edges—particularly around Wharf Jérémie, La Saline, and the margins of Bel-Air—experienced waves of violence and displacement. Still, even in the most difficult periods, Downtown’s civic and cultural heart never disappeared: art collectives, small workshops, church communities, street musicians, and vendors continued to animate spaces around the Cathedral district, Champ de Mars, and the port.

The early 2020s brought both challenges and unexpected forms of reinvention. Political paralysis, rapid inflation, and worsening insecurity reshaped mobility and commercial routines, while the migration of many residents overseas altered the social fabric of Downtown’s surrounding neighborhoods. At the same time, heritage advocacy grew stronger: urban historians, architects, diaspora groups, and local researchers pushed for documentation of Downtown’s gingerbread-era streets, its endangered structures, and its older civic spaces. The district’s cultural imagery—ironwork, murals, carnival routes, and iconic squares—became a touchstone for Haitian identity on social media and in diaspora memory.

Although state power in Downtown has fluctuated, the district’s symbolic importance has not. No matter how dispersed governmental functions become, La Ville remains the emotional capital of the Haitian people—the place where the country declares its history, mourns its tragedies, celebrates its heroes, and negotiates its future. In the long 21st century, Downtown Port-au-Prince continues to embody the layered story it has carried since its founding: a city built atop ancient Taíno landscapes, shaped by colonial ambition, transformed by revolution, rebuilt after fires and quakes, and kept alive—day after day—by the millions who move through its streets with endurance, creativity, and hope.

Geography[]

Civic Landscape[]

Public squares[]

The city contains a wide constellation of public squares, the most prominent of which include Place Pétion, Place Intendance—site of the later Cathedral—Place l’Église, Place Élie Dubois, Place Poste-Marchand, and Place Vallière, home to the celebrated iron market inaugurated on Sunday, November 22, 1891. Other notable squares are Place Geffrard, Place La Paix, the interior and exterior cemeteries, Champ de Mars, Place Saint-Louis, and Place de la Douane.

Place l’Église is remembered for one of the most tragic episodes of the revolutionary era. In 1802, Henriette Saint-Marc, a woman of color accused of sending ammunition to insurgents in Arcahaie, was condemned to death. At 10 a.m., two platoons of European riflemen escorted her to the square alongside her coffin. Before a large crowd, a gallows was raised, and she mounted it with firmness. When her body fell, the crowd erupted in wailing, and many women fled in horror. The executioner and soldiers were left alone in the square. That same evening, Rochambeau—indifferent to the public grief—hosted a grand ball at the National Palace. Soon afterward, another condemned prisoner, Mahotière, met the same fate in the square.

Place l’Église was also the site where the guillotine was first tested on a man named Pelou—events that helped ignite broader uprisings against the French occupation.

Public fountains and water supply[]

Throughout the 19th century, Downtown Port-au-Prince relied on a system of natural springs originating in Turgeau, Mme Leclerc, and Plaisance. These sources fed public fountains that supplied water to residences, visiting ships in the harbor, the men’s and women’s prisons, the military hospital, the National Palace, the Arsenal, and other public institutions. Two of the principal civic fountains—Mr. Colo and Madame Colo—were inaugurated on February 16, 1860.

Religious institutions[]

Downtown Port-au-Prince historically contained a dense concentration of churches and chapels. The first major house of worship, a wooden structure, functioned simultaneously as the city’s cathedral. Additional parish churches included St. Joseph, dedicated on April 22, 1877; in 1890, its registers recorded 46 legitimate and 356 natural baptisms, alongside 154 deaths and 27 marriages. In the same year, St. Anne’s parish counted 120 legitimate and 1,030 natural baptisms, 428 deaths, and 86 marriages.

A number of chapels served specialized communities or institutions, among them Madelaine aux Pisquettes, the Prison chapel, Saint Alexandre à la Croix des Martyrs, St. Louis of Turgeau, Sacré-Cœur in Turgeau, St. François in Bel-Air, Sainte Rose de Lima in Lalue, and the chapel of the Brothers of Christian Instruction. Protestant congregations were also present in the district.

On April 20, 1872, Morne-à-Tuf was formally designated a parish under the patronage of St. Anne. The parish of Sacré-Cœur de Turgeau was established later, in March 1920.

Public buildings[]

Downtown Port-au-Prince has long served as the administrative center of the Haitian state, and its public architecture reflects successive eras of political change. The original National Palace, completed in 1772, was destroyed by fire on December 20, 1869, during the entry of Caco forces into the capital. On January 15, 1870, former ⁹President Salnave was executed on the ruins of the structure. A second palace, constructed under ¹³President Salomon and completed in 1882, was destroyed by an explosion on March 8, 1912. The architect responsible for its design was Léon Laforestrie. The third and most recognizable iteration—a reinforced concrete building designed by Georges Baussan—was completed in 1918.

Other major public institutions historically located in the district include the Prison, the Central House, the military hospital, the School of Medicine, the State Store, the Free Fire Station, the Customs House, the General Archives, the five ministerial buildings, the hospice of St. François de Sales, the Gare du Nord, the Civil Court, and the Court of Cassation. Additional national facilities included the National Bank, the Seminary, the Observatory, the Museum, and the State Foundry. In fiscal year 1889–90, the Foundry reported revenues of $1,714.40, with state-related work totaling $4,627.43.

Several structures—including the School of the Brothers, the Casernes de la Garde, and the Magazin de l’État—were repeatedly damaged or rebuilt following explosions at the nearby arsenal. Religious and social institutions such as the Archbishopric and the French asylum of St. Vincent de Paul also played significant roles in public service.

During the administration of President Borno, the city’s civic architecture expanded considerably with the construction of the Palace of Finance, the General Headquarters of the Gendarmerie, the City Hall, the new School of Medicine, and the Palace of Justice, all contributing to the governmental capital of the Republic.

Lodges[]

Freemasonry formed an unusually visible part of civic life in early Port-au-Prince. Several lodges affiliated with the Grand Orient of Haiti operated in the downtown district, including Amitié des Frères Réunis No. 1, L’Étoile d’Haïti No. 5, Le Mont Liban No. 22, and Les Cœurs Unis No. 24. These institutions played a notable role in the city’s civic life during the 19th century.

The lodges are also connected to a major episode in Haitian political history. During the 1812 siege of Port-au-Prince by forces loyal to Henri Christophe, ¹President Alexandre Pétion sought temporary refuge in the Friendship Lodge of the United Brothers to escape incoming artillery fire. Nearby, remnants of early governmental structures remain visible: on Rue du Centre stand traces of the former Senate, while the palace of the Chamber of Deputies—located on Rue de l’Enterrement—was built on the historic site of Sabès, where Pétion was born on March 2, 1770.

When the devastating earthquake struck the city on June 3, 1770, coinciding with Pentecost, Pétion was merely three months old. His mother, overwhelmed by fear and chaos, left him asleep in his cradle. In a moment of desperation, she called out her child's name. Despite the peril, a nurse, at the risk of her life, bravely entered the dilapidated house and successfully rescued young Alexandre. Pétion passed away as President of Haiti in Port-au-Prince on March 29, 1818, at the age of 48. In his honor, his heart was interred at Fort National, which is also referred to as Fort Alexandre.

Neighboring sections

	North 1re Varreux, CDS	Northeast 1re Saint-Martin, DEL
〰️West〰️ Baie de Port-au-Prince	Downtown Port-au-Prince	East 1re Turgeau
Southwest 3e Martissant	South 2e Morne l'Hôpital

Points of Interest[]

Forts[]

Fort Ilet stood as a fortress erected under the French colony on an island once known as Ilet du Prince, in the harbor of Port-au-Prince.

Grande-Rivière[]

Grande-Rivière, formerly the sixteenth rural section of the Port-au-Prince commune, was situated between the commune itself and Croix-des-Bouquets, within the expansive Cul-de-Sac plain. It was home to a rural school and is nourished by the Grande Rivière du Cul-de-Sac, which supplied water to numerous sugar plantations in the area. The irrigation system that greatly benefited the Cul-de-Sac plain was established by the colonial government under Larnage and Maillard in 1730. The Grande Rivière du Cul-de-Sac originates at Morne la Selle, near Boucan Brou, traverses the Cul-de-Sac plain, and ultimately empties into the sea to the east of Port-au-Prince Bay. Upon assuming power, President Legitime envisioned the construction of a metal bridge at this location, to be financed by the National Bank of Haiti, despite the challenges posed by the ongoing civil war. This bridge was planned to span 60 meters. The necessary materials were already in progress, and it was merely a matter of assembling them, a task that would fall to the (then) current government.

Laveaux[]

Laveaux habitation was situated in the commune of Port-au-Prince within the Cul-de-Sac plain. The Etoile habitation, along with the Barbancourt distillery, was derived from this location.

Montalais[]

The Montalais district represents an area extending from Rue Pavée to the Lycée National and beyond.

On November 21, 1791, during the conflict between the white royalists and the freedmen of Port-au-Prince, Captain Douyon, stationed at Montalais, facilitated the retreat from Beauvais by intercepting Caradeux, who was attempting to encircle the government palace.

Montalais was originally settled by royalists. Following the insurrection led by Boyer Bazelais in Port-au-Prince on June 30, 1879, the government positioned a cannon in Montalais to dislodge the insurgents who were concealed in the houses along Rue Pavée, from where they were firing upon government soldiers and civilians.

Place Geffrard[]

• Place Geffrard, A public square situated in Port-au-Prince, bordered by Courbe, Magasin de l'Etat, and Rue des Miracles. An iron kiosk for military music was established during the administration of ⁸President Geffrard. In 1880, ¹³President Salomon renamed it Place de la Paix. An expansion initiative was undertaken in 1890 under the direction of Minister Clément Haentjens.

Place l'Intendance[]

• Place de l'Intendance (English: "Stewardship Square") is a public square located in Port-au-Prince, to the south of the Cathedral. Several fountains flow beneath it, situated opposite the Church market. In April 1793, a guillotine was erected in the Place de l'Intendance, where it was used on a native of Rouen named Pelon, who had been sentenced to death by a military court. A large crowd gathered to witness the operation of this dreadful device. When Pelon's head fell into the basket, a scream of horror erupted from the crowd, which then surged towards the gruesome instrument and dismantled it.

Place Pétion[]

• Place Pétion is a public square situated in Port-au-Prince, directly across from the national palace. The northern facade features the newly constructed building housing five ministries. Surrounding the square are trees, originally planted during ⁹President Salnave's administration, which extend their lush branches. At the center stands the masonry Altar of the Fatherland, erected by ¹³President Salomon, alongside the tomb of ¹President Pétion.

The original national palace was destroyed by fire in December 1869 during the Cacos' entrance into Port-au-Prince. Subsequently, a new palace was constructed in 1882 by ¹³President Salomon, located to the north of the former structure.

• On Friday, September 28, 1888, rumors spread throughout the city that General Séïde Thélémaque, a member of the provisional government and the Minister of War, was planning to seize the national palace, which had been under the guard of General Anselme Prophète since President Salomon's departure. It was reported that ammunition had been distributed to his Northern troops stationed around Pétion Square. Many believed that General Séïde, under pressure from his financial backers and supporters, intended to declare himself president. There were also claims that he would be attacked during the night by the followers of ¹⁴Légitime. A panic ensued, prompting citizens to rush to arm themselves. Meanwhile, other members of the provisional government worked tirelessly to prevent a clash between the Northern troops and the citizens, but their efforts proved futile.

General Séide received the visitors with hostility in his camp, issuing threats that set a tense atmosphere. Later that evening, around 7 PM, four gunshots rang out from his camp. Whether it was due to a perceived attack or specific orders given to them, the northern soldiers stationed in front of General Séide's residence, on the south side of the square, retaliated with a barrage of gunfire directed at the national palace's guards. Troops from the North, including those led by Generals Bottex and Saint Fleur Paul, swiftly advanced toward the national palace post. Positioned behind the palace's enclosing wall, they faced a relentless onslaught of bullets and machine gun fire, which left them in a state of chaos. General Séide was struck by three bullets and fell dead during the confrontation.

The palace garrison consisted of just 93 men, with 8 sustaining injuries. In stark contrast, the northern forces were reported to exceed 1,000 troops, with estimates suggesting their numbers could be as high as 3,000, resulting in significant casualties on their side.

The following morning, Anselme Prophete retrieved 8 flags belonging to the northern forces, which were found leaning against the outer wall of the palace. In a public statement, the provisional government denounced the political schemers who had meticulously orchestrated the trap that ensnared the unfortunate general, who had been misled by their counsel. They honored him with a grand funeral and initiated an investigation. Cities like Cap-Haïtien, Gonaïves, and Port-de-Paix rose up in arms, seeking retribution for the assassination of Séide, which they blamed on his presidential rival, ¹⁴General Légitime.

Absolutely not! General Légitime did not orchestrate these events. The primary instigators were the citizens of Port-au-Prince, who grew weary of witnessing an army from the North repeatedly invade their city whenever they took up arms. Additionally, disloyal individuals sought to undermine Seide's authority to install Légitime in power. Furthermore, there were likely those who supported Seide, eager to get back what they lost when Légitime was considered.

Under ²⁶President Borno's leadership, Place Pétion underwent a remarkable transformation. Efforts were made to enhance this location, rendering it one of the most beautiful spots in Port-au-Prince, capable of capturing the admiration of many. A presidential decree subsequently designated it as Place de l'Independence. In the center, a magnificent mausoleum was constructed, encircled by flowerbeds and a splendid lawn, housing the remains of Dessalines and Pétion, which were transported there. On January 3, 1926, during the inauguration of this mausoleum, President Borno, accompanied by his Ministers and a significant number of public officials and friends, delivered the following address:

My dear fellow citizens,
It is with great honor that the current Government will be recorded in our Public Annals for having erected this monument of heartfelt gratitude and genuine affection on this historic square, now known as Independence Square, in tribute to two courageous individuals who laid the foundations of the Haitian nation.
Although they valiantly fought against each other during the civil war, a conflict that postponed our Liberation, they eventually recognized their errors, extended their hands in reconciliation, and ultimately achieved National Independence. Later, the criminal politicians succeeded in dividing them; and then the Pont-Rouge catastrophe occurred!
They died enemies, yet, Gentlemen, united in brotherhood, they had proven to be a formidable force. It is their collective valor that has granted Haiti the distinguished honor of being the second free and independent Republic on the New Continent. Through their audacity, Haiti dared to stand as a beacon of freedom amidst the widespread oppression of the era, proudly declaring itself a Republic of former slaves!
They died enemies; And it seemed that this enmity had cast a fatal shadow over the existence of the people created by them; because for over a century, their descendants have grappled with disunity, engaging in unworthy disputes and violent chaos. Consequently, the challenge we face today, as their descendants, is indeed, Gentlemen, one of a second liberation—not from a congenial foreign power, but from ourselves, burdened by our own fractured history, of divisions and calamities, that weighs heavily on our social life, on our political life, our economic development, on our national existence itself.
Will we ever attain this liberation?
Absolutely; let us hold onto this unwavering hope. We will undoubtedly reach this goal if we embrace the profound teachings of our Ancestors, focusing on restoring our Independence not through bloodshed and animosity, but by fostering a higher, genuinely Christian civilization. In our cherished homeland, we must unite our intellects and our hearts.
It is with this conviction that the Government has erected this monument, this sanctuary, to honor the founders of our nation, reconciled in their resting place, united by our shared mistakes. They will serve as our inspiration, guiding us in a new, peaceful struggle—the sacred fight against ignorance and poverty, a battle rooted in labor and order rather than war and devastation, a quest for true freedom instead of oppressive tyranny. By undertaking this solemn act, the Government aims to revive the vital concept of Haitian Unity, which had been fading into abstraction. To ensure that this concept permeates our consciousness and transforms us, it has been rendered tangible through the use of stone and marble. The Government has ensured its visibility by presenting it openly in the public square, allowing it to be be seen with our eyes and touched with our hands!
As we anticipate this profound symbol, this sacred invitation to resonate within every conscience, and while we await the enlightening teachings of our ancestors to nurture our spirits, the Government remains steadfast in its challenging mission. It forges ahead, undeterred by falsehoods and resolute against defamation, with an unwavering focus on the bright horizon of progress that ascends for everyone, much like the benevolent sun bestowed by God.

Place Vallière[]

This public square is bordered by Grande Rue, Rue Courbe, Rue des Fronts-Forts, and Rue des Césars. It is also referred to as le Marché en Bas. The fountain located at its center originates from the French colonial period.

• On February 5, 1802, during the French army's landing at Lamentin, following their capture of Fort Léogane (Lerebours) from Lamatinière, General Boudet's forces entered the town. However, as they advanced along the main street, they were abruptly halted by a fierce attack from the 8th colonial troops stationed at Place Vallière. The French forces charged at them, prompting a retreat to Fort Saint-Joseph (Lamarre).
• On March 16, 1804, a white pharmacist named Saladin, residing at Place Vallière, was assaulted in his home by soldiers loyal to Dessalines, who intended to kill him. He was fiercely defended by his son, a young man of color and a soldier in the 4th Native regiment. As the soldiers attempted to break down the door to his room, Saladin chose to poison himself.
• The iron market at Place Vallière, constructed by Mr. A. Bobo on behalf of ¹⁵President Hippolyte's government, was inaugurated on Sunday, October 22, 1891, at a cost of 135,000 dollars in gold.

Timeline[]

The accounts that history transmits to us regarding the capital of the Republic of Haiti are extensive.

• It reveals that in January 1890, this city served as the venue for a provincial assembly organized by the planters of the West, aimed at both advancing the revolution and undermining Governor Peinier. In response to the growing unrest, Peinier, compelled to pledge allegiance to the nation, the law, and the king, established a coalition of loyalists to the old regime and the Metropolis. Each member of this coalition donned a white pompom on their hat, symbolizing royalty. Conversely, the revolutionaries adopted red pompoms, while the freedmen chose yellow. On July 30, Colonel Mauduit forcibly disbanded the Western Assembly, and he was subsequently assassinated on March 4, 1791.

• A significant confrontation occurred on November 21, 1791, between the freedmen led by Beauvais and the white population, lasting from 2 PM until nightfall. During this conflict, Praloto set the city ablaze. The colored men who had remained neutral, along with their families, were brutally killed in the streets, while numerous shops were looted. Out of 30 city blocks, 27 were devastated, and 500 houses were destroyed, resulting in losses estimated at 50 million livres Tournois. The town was besieged by freedmen who redirected the waters of Turgeau and Martissant, leading to a dire food shortage and severe famine.

• In March 1793, the freedmen of Cul-de-Sac once more blockaded the area, with Beauvais positioned on the plain side and Lalue, alongside Rigaud, situated on the Bizoto side. The mayor of the town, Borel, committed so many crimes there that Sonthonax resolved to open his doors.

• On April 5, 1793, Sonthonax and Polverel arrived from Saint-Marc to lay siege to the city. Governor Delassale established his camp at Portail Saint Joseph, Beauvais in Bizoton. With the city surrounded by both land and sea, a demand for surrender was issued, leading to an assault on April 12. Borel managed to secure the release of the residents by paying a ransom of 366,000 pounds; he then departed Port-au-Prince, traveling to Jacmel before setting sail for Jamaica. On April 14, the civil commissioners entered Port-au-Prince, which was deemed a rebel stronghold. Blanchelande, commanding colored troops under Fontanges, tightened the blockade by both sea and land. Despite the resistance from Praloto and Dumontellier, the city ultimately capitulated. On July 5, the coalition forces made their triumphant entry. Dumontellier faced deportation, while Praloto was arrested and taken to Saint-Marc, where he was killed in the harbor.

• On September 22, 1793, Polverel proclaimed the general freedom of slaves at the Place d'armes.

• In January and February of 1794, Commodore Ford made two appearances, urging the city to surrender to the British forces. However, due to Sonthonax's stance, he ultimately retreated.

• On March 17, 1794, at 11 p.m., General Montbrun, leading the Western Legion along with artillery, advanced towards the barracks of the 48th regiment, commanded by Desfourneaux, who unexpectedly opened fire with machine guns. The 48th, a white regiment loyal to Sonthonax, was compelled to evacuate along with Desfourneaux to France.

• On May 31, General Whyte and Commodore Ford came to blockade Port-au-Prince. They bombarded the place with canons and directed three columns against it and captured Fort Bizoton. Unable to maintain their position, Sonthonax and Polverel retreated to La Charbonnière (Pétion-ville). On June 5, an English force of 4,000 troops entered Port Republicain, firing upon everyone they encountered in the streets. General Whyte fortified the city to the east and south, establishing a stronghold at Morne à Tuf in the center of the interior cemetery square and at the summit of the hill to the east on what was then the Covin habitation. This fort became known as Fort National.

• On December 5, 1797, Pétion laid siege to Port-Republicain from the Gros Morne side.

• On April 23, 1798, General Maitland initiated the evacuation of the place, loading his munitions onto ships. A treaty was established in the city on April 30, involving Adjutant General Huin, who acted under the authority of Toussaint Louverture, and Adjutant Nightingall, an officer of the British army aboard the ship Abergaverny. The agreement stipulated that the English would relinquish control of the cities of Port Republicain, Saint-Marc, and Archaie to General Toussaint, allowing sufficient time for the British forces to withdraw without hindrance, contingent upon Toussaint's commitment to protect the lives and properties of the remaining residents of the colony. Both parties were to suspend hostilities for a duration of five weeks.

• By May 8, General Maitland had completed the loading of all his munitions and troops. The following day, he departed for Môle. On the afternoon of May 9, General Laplume assumed control of Port Republicain. Shortly thereafter, Toussaint dispatched Colonel Christophe Mornay of the 8th Colonial to oversee the city, arriving himself amidst a grand celebration. The overall command of the district was entrusted to Adjutant General Huin, a white settler. Following the defeat of Rigaud in August 1800, approximately fifty Riguadin prisoners, including both civilians and soldiers, were present in Port Republicain. They were executed with bayonets at the Croix des Martyrs (Martyrs' Cross).

• On February 3, 1802, the Leclerc expedition's squadron reached the vicinity of the city, and expressions of joy were evident among the populace. The oppressive rule of Toussaint had left many weary. Lamartinière, the commander of the 3rd Colonial, known for his fierce temperament and bravery, implored the citizens to take up arms in defense of their city, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. He warned that the French were coming to reinstate slavery, yet the residents remained convinced of France's benevolence.

Lamartinière opposed General Agé's dismissal of brigade chief Salès, who served as aide-de-camp to General Boudet and was responsible for delivering messages to the District commander.

In response to General Boudet, Agé stated that he could not make a decision regarding the city's surrender in the absence of Dessalines, the commander of the Western Division. Meanwhile, Lamartinière communicated to the French that if they abruptly landed under the orders of Governor General Toussaint Louverture, three shots from the alarm cannon would be fired, and that the signal, repeated from hill to hill, would be that of the destruction of the colony and the massacre of all white inhabitants. Enraged, he rushed to the arsenal and demanded ammunition from Director Lacombe, who refused.

In a fit of rage, he exclaimed in a thunderous voice, “Since it is so, die, miserable colonist,” and shot Lacombe in the head. This act of brutal determination instilled fear throughout the arsenal, resulting in the immediate surrender of all ammunition to him. The city gates were closed, Agé's command was effectively ended, and Lamartinière emerged as the sole authority in the city.

• The French military forces made their landing at Lamentin on February 5. Fort Bizoton capitulated, while Fort Leogane (Lerebours) offered strong resistance. Following two successive assaults, the fort was captured. General Boudet entered the city and pursued the fleeing escapees.

Lamartinière, Magny, and Monpoint, accompanied by a handful of soldiers, tried to ignite fires in various neighborhoods before abandoning the place, as they were pressed for time. They began to remove boxes of silver from the treasury, but were vigorously attacked by a French battalion, leading to their defeat and subsequent flight. Boudet found himself in possesion of 2,500,000 francs (or $404,025USD, worth about $11,905,559USD in 2024's dollars). He treated both the soldiers and the local populace with kindness, restored order to the city, and ensured that the wounded, including General Pamphile de la Croix and Colonel d'Henin, received medical attention.

• On September 23, 1803, Dessalines laid siege to Port-au-Prince, establishing his headquarters in Turgeau.

• By October 10, the French were compelled to evacuate. Generals Lavalette and Lux managed to reach the harbor.

• On March 16, 1804, Dessalines ordered the execution of the French at 10 o'clock in the evening. The following day, Dessalines appointed Germain Frère as the commander of the district and Benoit as the commander of the place.

• On January 7, 1807, General Christophe blocked Port-au-Prince by land, although his troops were eventually repelled.

• On July 23, 1807, General Yayou conspired but was abandoned by his allies; he then attempted to take control of Léogâne but ultimately failed.

• On March 25, 1812, Christophe (ruler of the north) helped initiate the second siege of Port-au-Prince, commanding an army of 25,000 troops along with English engineers. General Magny, who led the king's vanguard, switched sides to support Pétion (ruler of the south). This change led to the siege being lifted on June 14.

• In August 1815, a conspiracy spread across the Cul de-Sac plain, reaching as far as Jacmel. The plot was uncovered, aiming to assassinate Pétion. Several conspirators were executed at Morne a Tuf, including Captain Celestin Manneville. Lieutenant Colonel Louis Lerebours managed to escape and fled to the mountains of Fond-Verrettes. In December, he was captured and executed in Jacmel.

• On October 6, 1816, Mrs. Fontange and Esmangard, representatives of the King of France, arrived in Port-au-Prince to discuss Haiti's independence.

• On Friday, August 30, 1822, a citizen named Darfour went to the House of Commons with a memo aimed at destroying the government. The shocking memo was read immediately, causing public outrage. Crowds arrested Darfour and several deputies from Port-au-Prince, Les Cayes, and Cap-Haitien, along with a judge and a court dean. Citizen Dugue managed to escape. The arrested individuals were imprisoned for trial, and the Chamber expelled the implicated members, replacing them with substitutes. Darfour was executed in September. He was African and recognized as a citizen of Haiti, like all people of African descent.

• Pierre André served as a senator in 1838. He faced accusations of sending anonymous letters to the ²President of Haiti, which led to his expulsion from the Senate on June 4, 1838; however, he was reinstated on September 2 of the same year. Godefroy and Rosteau represented the commune of Port-au-Prince in the first House of Commons in 1817, where Pierre André had previously held the position of president.

• On July 3, 1825, Baron de Mackau, a sea captain, arrived in Port-au-Prince bearing the subversive ordinance from King Charles X, which acknowledged Haiti's political independence.

• On March 21, 1843, The People's Army of the South entered Port-au-Prince.

• On September 9, 1843, the Dalzon conspiracy unfolded. Under the cover of night, Dalzon approached the government fort (Fort Riché) claiming to act on behalf of the commander. He was accompanied by the 7th regiment and intercepted the 3rd regiment en route to Poste Marchand before advancing to Fort National. After descending from the fort with his accomplices, Colonel Chéry Archer, the local commander, along with Commander Jacques Louis and his battalion from the 5th regiment, pursued them, calling for an end to the insurrection towards Poste-Marchand. In the ensuing confrontation, Sergeant Registre fired and Dalzon fell dead. His accomplices fled.

• The Rivierists' conspiracy occurred on September 17, 1845. The conspirators convened in Port-au-Prince at night, then proceeded to Léogâne, where their leader, Colonel Pierre Paul, was based. Terlonge, leading a column, pursued and defeated them at the city's entrance. Terlonge displayed noble conduct towards the defeated, but this was followed by numerous executions without any judicial form at Gressier, Léogâne, and at the Pont de Thor.

• Port-au-Prince was the scene of a coup d'état on April 16, 1848. Upon learning of Louis Jacques' conspiracy in Aquin, an alarm cannon was fired, prompting the Zinglins to assemble at the palace. The guard opened fire on the officials and generals who had gathered, resulting in some drowning in their blood, while others managed to escape by leaping over the enclosure gates. In response to the gunfire, members of the bourgeoisie congregated by the seaside for self-defense. However, caught off guard and lacking leadership, Elie met his demise. For a duration of two days and nights, soldiers indiscriminately killed citizens in the streets. Notable figures such as Merlet, Normil Brouard, Leo Harmoniere, and Redon were among those murdered. These killings were followed by further violence in the South, where Soulouque sought to eliminate the populace through proscriptions and legal assassinations. A year later, on the same date, General Similien, the principal architect of these atrocities, was found celebrating in prison, dressed in slippers, where he ultimately died a year later.

• On July 6, 1861, at noon, six Spanish warships arrived in Port-au-Prince's harbor. Commander Escalante went ashore with an ultimatum, demanding a 21-gun salute from the government as reparation for offenses against the Spanish flag, along with $200,000 for damages caused by Dominican General Cabral on the eastern borders.

• On September 12, 1866, the arsenal was blown up at 4 a.m.

• During the night of February 22 to 23, 1867, a major plot unfolded among the riflemen within ⁸President Geffrard's palace tower, leading to the release of prisoners. The residence of Mr. Cesvet, the president's son-in-law, was ransacked. On one occasion, Prosper Elie and his son Justin, who had traveled to the Portail Saint Joseph fort, were killed, while the remaining conspirators managed to escape.

• In 1868, Port-au-Prince faced a siege from the Cacos, originating from La Plaine, Pétion-ville, and Carrefour. ⁹President Salnave mobilized the Piquets in the South, forcing the Cacos to lift the siege to fight the Piquets instead.

• On December 18, 1869, Port-au-Prince fell into the hands of Generals Brice, Dejoie, and Boisrond-Canal, who entered the port quietly with 1,200 Cacos. Salnave took refuge in the national palace; however, he was forced to retreat into the woods the following day because warship Terror kept firing cannonballs at him.

• On May 1, 1875, General Momplaisir Pierre Brice died from wounds at the Spanish consulate.

• On April 15, 1876, a riot erupted resulting in the death of Vice President S. Rameau, while ¹³President Domingue sought refuge in the French consulate. The following day, Lorquet was delayed in returning from Arcahaie.

• On March 14, 1878, Louis Tanis, the commander of the West department, took up arms at Fort National while the president was in the southern region. On the 18th, the rebels raised a white flag and abandoned the fort.

• On June 30, 1879, Boyer Bazelais began an armed uprising on Rue Pavée.

• On September 22, 1883, amidst the insurrection in Miragoâne, Jacmel, and Jérémie, a group of brainless young people took to the streets of Port-au-Prince and shouted: "Down with Solomon!". They discharged firearms into the air and proceeded to the district where they assassinated its commander, General Penor Benjamin, before seeking refuge in the consulates. In response, ¹³President Solomon ordered the looting and burning of the city's most beautiful neighborhoods. This incident occurred on a Saturday, and the following day, when it was presumed that the everything was over, the looting and burning resumed. It required an ultimatum from foreign consuls to bring an end to these barbaric acts.

• On September 27, 1888, General Seide Télémaque was assassinated in Port-au-Prince at Place Pétion.

• On August 23, 1889, following the departure of ¹⁴President Légitime the day before, the Northern and Southern armies, led by General Hyppolite, entered Port-au-Prince.

• On May 28, 1891, during a festival, General Sully Guerrier engaged in armed conflict in Port-au-Prince, where Alix Rossignol,

• On December 2, 1908, after the departure of ¹⁷President Nord Alexis, some businesses were looted overnight by a group described as the "sovereign people," which included locals, soldiers, and police. General Poitevien led a battalion of grenadiers to drive away the looters, resulting in some deaths. It was reported that after the government fell, this group engaged in banditry in Port-au-Prince, armed with rifles, continuing their plundering until a new government was established.

• In 1925, during the administration of ²⁶President Borno, a significant number of constructions were undertaken, including the Finance Palace, the General Hospital buildings, the General Headquarters of the Gendarmerie, the School of Medicine, and the Palace of Justice. Additionally, enhancements were made at customs, and the Municipal Hotel was established, along with efforts to beautify city streets and public squares.

Recreation[]

Statue of Henri Christophe - Champs de Mar

MUPANAH - Port-au-prince National Museum

References[]

PÒTOPRENS! - Pioneer works [1]

The Colonial system unveiled - Dokumen [2]