Marché en Fer

Marché en Fer or Marché de Fer (English: Iron Market) also known as the Marché Hyppolite and the Marché Vallières is a public market in Haiti’s capital, Port‑au‑Prince.^[1] It was damaged by fire in 2008 and destroyed in the 2010 Haiti earthquake, but was restored. In February 2018 it burned again, with one of the two halls being destroyed.

Iron Market

French: Marché en fer Haitian Creole: Mache an fè
Exterior view around 1907
18.5515°N 72.3431°W / 18.5515; -72.3431
Location	Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Opening date	1891–2008 2011–present

History

The Marché en Fer is a metal edifice that was built in Paris for a railway station in Cairo. When that plan was canceled, Haitian president Florvil Hyppolite purchased it and had it brought to Haiti in 1891.^[2][3][4]

The market consists of two iron‑framed halls, 2,000 m² (22,000 sq ft) each, connected by a gate with four domed towers and with a clock on the gate’s façade. The entire structure is painted red, with green accents.

The market has burned several times; after a fire in 2008 it was abandoned. It was then completely destroyed by the 2010 Haiti earthquake.^[5]

Designated as a "historical heritage" by the Institut de Sauvegarde du Patrimoine National, it was rebuilt and reopened a year after the earthquake, with the financial support Irishman Denis O'Brien, owner of the mobile phone company Digicel, who invested US$12 million.^[6][7][8] Bricks recovered from buildings damaged in the earthquake were reused in reconstruction and the same French corporation that manufactured the original roof tiles made the replacements.^[1] The restored market was reopened in 2011 by Bill Clinton, former President of the United States.^[9]

On 13 February 2018, another fire, thought to have started in a rubbish container, destroyed one of the two halls.^[9]

References

1. "L'historique Marché en fer reconstruit seulement un an après le séisme qui l'avait détruit" (Press release) (in French). Digicel. 13 January 2011. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
2. Bhatia, Pooja (10 January 2011). "A Symbol of Hope for Haiti, a Landmark Again Stands Tall". New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
3. Basu, Moni (21 May 2010). "Haiti trying to avoid past mistakes as rebuilding begins". CNN. Archived from the original on 9 August 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
4. Coomes, Phil (13 January 2013). "Inside Haiti's Iron Market". BBC News. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
5. Laurince, Jonas (11 January 2011). "Haïti : le Marché en Fer, un joyau au cœur d'une capitale dévastée" (in French). Haiti Press Network. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015.
6. "Le marché en Fer symbole de la renaissance Haïtienne". Digicel (Press release) (in French). 12 January 2011. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
7. Vulliamy, Ed (9 January 2011). "How an Irish telecoms tycoon became Haiti's only hope of salvation". The Guardian. London. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2 October 2015.
8. Luxner, Larry (31 August 2012). "Haiti's New Envoy Wants Investment Dollars, Not Pity". The Washington Diplomat. Silver Spring, Maryland. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015.
9. "Haiti's historic Port-au-Prince Iron Market ravaged by fire". BBC News. 14 February 2018.