People have inhabited Balenbouche Estate for almost 2000 years. The area first appears on maps in the 1770's.

Today, Balenbouche is owned and managed by the Lawaetz family, Uta and her two daughters Anitanja (left) and Verena (right) have lived and worked on the Estate for 20 years, dedicating much of their lives to the preservation and development of this unique property.

Historical Overview of Balenbouche Estate

200 Ad - 700 AD Amerindian ("Arawak") settlements
700 AD - 1500 AD Amerindian ("Carib") settlements
1740 First European settlement, possibly by son of Sir Thomas Warner
1700's Coffee and tobacco grown on the estate
1770 earliest known record of ownership by French family "Martin"
1770's Balenbouche Sugar mill constructed
1815 Approximately 200 slaves working on the plantation
1834 Emancipation
1837 Balenbouche purchased by Gaillard de Laubaunque family
1840's Investment in new waterwheel and machinery for sugar factory
1860 Irma Gaillard marries a Mac Farlane of Scottish origin
1870's Indentured labourers from East India brought to work on the plantation
1935 Balenbouche purchased by Floissac family
1940 Operations of sugar mill sabotaged/terminated
1950's Balenbouche produces lime oil, coconut and banana crops
1964 Balenbouche purchased by Erik Lawaetz from St. Croix
1970 Lawaetz invests in banana, ginger, pepper and sweet potato crops, livestock
1970's Erik Lawaetz exports to other islands, but stopped by st Lucia gov.
1983 Roy and Uta Lawaetz take over management of Balenbouche Estate
1984 Roy and Uta's second daughter, Anitanja, is born
1984 Roy and Uta invest in new crops, such as tobacco
1986 Cattle farm established, and horses for riding
1989 Bulk of Lawaetz' agricultural land (Park Estate) acquired by Government
1990 Balenbouche staff quarters converted into guest cottages
1991 Fruit orchards established, ongoing landscaping of gardens
1992 Guided tours offered at Balenbouche, occasional stay-over visitors
1990's Balenbouche gains popularity as a guesthouse and historic site
1995 Cut-flowers (Ginger lilies) and additional fruit orchards established
1997 Main crop copra (dried coconut) replaced by other agricultural activity
1998 Balenbouche becomes prime venue for "Jazz in the South"
2000 Balenbouche is recognized as a st Lucia Heritage Site
2001 Uta and Roy's two daughters, Verena and Anitanja, return to Balenbouche
to assist their mother in managing the family business
2002 Balenbouche Estate launches www.balenbouche.com
2004 Addition of a one bedroom cottage, Frangipani House

Amerindian Settlements
Balenbouche Estate holds the key to a rich history dating back almost 2000 years, when the first Amerindian peoples from Central America arrived in large dug-out canoes. The Igneri (commonly referred to as the Arawak) settled in St.Lucia around 200 AD. They were followed by the Kalinago (Caribs) around 1000 AD. The Caribs are believed to have been a more warlike tribe which eventually conquered and intermarried with the Arawaks.

Traces of a Pre-Columbian presence at Balenbouche Estate include archeological remains of a prehistoric timber building, rock-cut basins and petroglyphs on the banks of the Balenbouche river, and a collection of artifacts such as stone hatchets, various cutting and carving tools, and beautifully crafted clay pottery.

In the 1660's, the remaining Caribs on st Lucia surrendered to the French and agreed to relocate to Dominica and St. Vincent. This is why there are very few descendants in st Lucia today. The traditions and lifestyle of the early Amerindians are still being explored by historians and archaeologists.

European Settlements
The first European settlements at Balenbouche Estate were established as early as the 1640's, and st Lucia’s first road went through the Estate and crossed the Balenbouche river at the Balenbouche Bay. The earliest known family name associated with the property is the Martin family in 1770. The archeological remains of two previous estate houses, elaborate water systems and the ruins of an 18th century sugar mill have been uncovered and documented.

In recent years, letters written from Balenbouche to Paris during the period 1840 – 1860 have been publicized by descendants of the Gaillard de Laubenque family, who once owned the Estate. These letters provide a first-hand insight into life on a st Lucia plantation during the mid-19th century.

African settlements
Remains of African cooking wares and possible settlements have been found on the Estate, as well as documentation of the number, origin and occupation of people brought over from Africa as slaves. One of the earlier Estate houses may have been abandoned and destroyed during the Brigand War which caused great confusion in st Lucia in the late 18th century. In 1834, the year in which emancipation was enacted, 166 slaves worked on the plantation, which was then 587 acres, largely sugar cane fields.

The community of Piaye to the East of the property was founded by freed slaves and retains a strong African identity.

East Indian settlements
During the late 19th century, indentured labourers from India were brought to st Lucia to work in the cane fields. Balenbouche Estate was one of the few plantations in the South of st Lucia to use indentured Indian labour. Although promised that they would be able to return to their homeland, many men chose to or were forced to remain on st Lucia.

Many of the East Indians who had worked at Balenbouche settled in the community of Balca to the North of the Estate.

Recent History
When Mr. Erik Lawaetz, a Danish-West Indian developer from St.Croix, visited St.Lucia in 1963, he and his wife fell in love with Balenbouche Estate. A few years later, they purchased the property from the Floissac family, along with other nearby farms, and began cultivating non-traditional crops on a large scale.

However, at the time, the investment climate on st Lucia was not very welcoming, and the success of the farm was limited. After a few years, Jennie and Erik returned to St. Croix, handing over the business to local management.

In 1984, Mr. Lawaetz's daughter-in-law, Uta Lawaetz, visited Balenbouche Estate whilst on vacation. She quickly realized that the property was in critical financial and legal condition due to fraudulent activities, and urged her husband to come to st Lucia.

West Indian artist Roy Lawaetz, and Uta, an architect and interior designer by profession, experienced a challenging time, in which most of the family land was forcibly taken over by the government. Yet they persevered, and were able to save the Balenbouche Estate house and surrounding area. Here, they sought to rebuild an existence for themselves and their two daughters.

Roy and Uta established new crops on the plantation, such as carambolas, passion fruit, ginger lilies, vegetables and tobacco. In 1991 they converted the former staff quarters into two guest cottages. At first, the villas were intended mainly for friends and relatives, and occasional volunteers and contractors. However, over the years, more and more visitors started coming to Balenbouche. The estate's activities expanded to include plantation tours, a small restaurant, educational projects and field schools, weddings and other special events.The income from tourism then and now helps to maintain and improve the farm and grounds, and provide the much needed income for ongoing restoration, environmental management, and research.

Roy and Uta had two daughters; Verena, born in Copenhagen in 1977, and Anitanja, born in st Lucia in 1984. Both children were home schooled for many years. In December 2000, Verena completed her bachelor’s degree in International Development and Economics. Anitanja attended school in st Lucia and later in the Dominican Republic, returning to st Lucia in 2001.

Today, Uta, Verena and Anitanja live and work together at Balenbouche Estate, which has become an internationally acclaimed guesthouse and heritage site. For the three women, the ongoing beautification and development of the property has become a life's work.