Termites Are A Constant Threat To The Picturesque And Historically Significant Gingerbread Houses Of Haiti

The island country of Haiti contains urban areas that are no different from big cities that can be found in any country. Numerous buildings that are made from concrete and rebar can be found in Downtown Port-au-Prince. However, Haitian architecture goes well beyond the typical concrete jungles that exist in big cities like New York City and Los Angeles. For example, the country is rife with strange, yet beautiful looking homes that were made from lumber materials. These houses are known as “gingerbread houses”, and tourists from all corners of the world travel to Haiti in order to get a peak of these opulent houses. Gingerbread houses were constructed by early French colonials in Haiti, and Haitian natives continued to build these houses after the French abandoned the country. The houses were built in order to accommodate the country’s emerging middle class during the 1800s. Although the homes are made from wood, they tend to stand up better to Haiti’s frequent hurricanes and earthquakes than brick and concrete homes do. For example, the wooden structural design of gingerbread houses can bend in accordance with seismic disturbances, and the steep-pitched roofs allow hurricane winds to blow against them, as opposed to up and under them. Unfortunately, these houses have not fared well against another destructive force that is common to Haiti–termites!

Termites in Haiti are extremely aggressive and they have a rich history of inflicting structural damages in the country. Termite damage to gingerbread houses is most often found in walls, floor plankings, floor joists and porch posts. In Port-au-Prince, nearly every gingerbread house in the area has suffered some degree of termite damage. In an effort to preserve these structures in spite of termite attacks, officials in the country decided to rebuild termite damaged portions with brick masonry. However, this method of restoration often resulted in disaster, as termite damaged floors frequently collapsed under the weight of brick-constructed add-ons. One of the largest gingerbread houses in Haiti, the Patrice Pamphile House, has undergone extensive termite damages. In fact, nearly all of the wood on the house has been consumed by termites. Officials are hoping to save the house from termite destruction, but the original design probably won’t be retained following restoration efforts.

Since gingerbread houses draw capital from tourists every year, do you think that Haiti’s economy can crash due to nothing more than termite destruction?