Frontstreet Merchants
Home and Business
The deep roof structures combined with a wood shingle exterior on these buildings typify many of the beautiful and historic homes found in the quaint town of Philipsburg at the turn of the century. Buildings such as these doubled as homes and stores for St. Maarten's well to do merchants.
One by one these masterpieces of bygone architecture were torn down to make way for more modern multistore structures to meet the growing demand for space in the heart of town. New zoning laws introduced after the 1995 passage of hurricane Luis and a new monuments ordinance passed be [sic] the Sint Maarten government in period 1999-2000 has fortunately stemmed the tide.
With the use of modern building techniques and materials, coupled with traditional designs from the past, these difficult to preserve buildings are getting a new lease on life to excite and educate future generations of residents and visitors to St. Maarten.
Marker is on Cruise Ship Terminal (The Harbor Point Village) 0.03 kilometers from Juancho Yrausquin Blvd, on the left.
Courtesy hmdb.org
