Description
In 1854, Cathalina Isenia Helm (1804-1875) purchased a piece of land on which she built Langestraat 52-54 in 1855. On the façade, the previous house number and the construction date can be seen on a wooden board “N. 30, A 1855”. At the back of the house, a beautiful ornated chimney of the former fireplace in the kitchen can be seen.
Cathalina, who was born into slavery, was emancipated in 1838 by the merchant Thomas Cornelis Haayen, who was also the father of her four children. Eventually, they had more children together and married 35 years later, just two years before Cathalina’s passing.
In 1857, Cathalina and her family moved into the newly constructed mansion next door to the left. Nevertheless, the house remained in the family and continued to be a cherished home for the next generations.
Name of property:
None
Characteristics:
Semi-detached one-story structure. Part of building complex Langestraat 40-54. Gable roof with dormers over a core area and slant roof over the adjoining rear gallery. Funnel-shaped gables with 19th-century top end and oculus. Front façade with full-frontage plain cornice and horizontal band above first-floor windows. Wooden board with the inscription ‘N30 A 1855’. Rear gallery with chimney and oven.
Monument value:
Architectural historical and cultural-historical value because of the floor plan typical of Curaçao. Specific value as part of a protected monumental townscape.
Construction period:
1855
