Quartier d'Orléans

Quartier d'Orléans on the eastern side is the oldest French settlement on Saint Martin, known locally as French Quarter, a village of low houses along the road with a strong Creole character and a working life that has little to do with tourism. Roland Richardson, the island's best known painter, has his studio here. The Butterfly Farm and Le Galion are nearby. The village was settled in the seventeenth century, well before Marigot, and its street plan reflects that age. It sits close to the Dutch border on the eastern side of the island.

History

First called Quartier d'Orient after Orient Bay, and perhaps renamed in honour of the Duke of Orléans, the quarter was the first French settlement on the island, founded before 1648 beside an Amerindian village, and its settlers grew tobacco, indigo and, after 1660, sugar cane (Wikipedia, Quartier-d'Orleans).

What's there

• The oldest settlement - the first French village on the island.
• The Creole village - low houses and a working local character.
• The artist's studio - Roland Richardson's house and gallery.
• The eastern position - a village away from the tourist coasts.

When to go

December to April is the high season. Hurricane season runs June to November. The studio keeps limited opening days.

Practical notes

There is little arranged for visitors and the village is workaday. The studio opens on limited days. Hurricane damage took years to repair.

Nearby

Le Galion is north, and Oyster Pond is south.

Key facts