The Les Fruits de Mer association invites the public to celebrate the launch of The Old House this Saturday. The Old House is a bilingual book about The Old House in French Quarter, the current location of Amuseum Naturalis. Delta Petroleum is sponsoring free copies of the book for all who attend the launch. The launch event will be held from 9am to noon on Saturday, July 22nd.
Overlooking Coconut Grove in French Quarter, The Old House has been a part of St. Martin’s history for over 250 years. Very few buildings from its era survive today. The building showcases the skilled work of many generations of St. Martin artisans, from those who laid the foundations in the 1700s to those who did carpentry, tile and cement work in the last century
“We’re excited to share this book with the public, and thank Delta for supporting the launch,” said Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “Delta has sponsored Les Fruits de Mer projects and events for ten years. They were the original sponsors of the first Amuseum Naturalis in Grand Case, and now they are helping us share this special book.”
The book explores various aspects of The Old House, from its architecture and craftsmanship to its role in salt production and its representation in art. The book includes interviews with the late Elise Hyman, who worked at the Orient Bay salt pond in her youth, and Sir Roland Richardson, who created an etching of the house and profiled its history in an early issue of Discover magazine.
The Old House book is bilingual in French and English. It is available for free online at lesfruitsdemer.com. The print edition will be available for free at the book launch from 9am to noon on Saturday, July 22nd at Amuseum Naturalis. The public is welcome to visit Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House every day of the week from sunrise to sunset. The free museum features exhibits about The Old House itself, and many other parts of St. Martin’s nature, heritage and culture.
The Old House book is also available as a free download.
About Amuseum Naturalis
Amuseum Naturalis is a free museum of the nature and heritage of St. Martin and the Caribbean, created by Les Fruits de Mer. It is located at the historic Old House in French Quarter on the hill above Coconut Grove. For the latest information, visit amuseumnaturalis.com.
About Delta Petroleum
Delta Petroleum is the top local sponsor of the Les Fruits de Mer association. Delta provides funding for many of the association’s projects, including Amuseum Naturalis, the Soualibra research library, the Plantilles free plant stand, and more. Delta has sponsored Les Fruits de Mer projects and events since 2013. Delta was founded in 1985 and is proud to support St. Martin communities by funding local education projects.