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Moca.- Nowadays it is a museum, and its gardens are one of the favorite places in the northwest to take wedding and quinceañero photographs. But the history of this hacienda began to be written long before the author Enrique Laguerre immortalized it as the Palacete Los Moreau, in his famous novel La Llamarada.

The majestic structure was built in Barrio Aceitunas at the beginning of the 19th century. It belonged to a prosperous French farmer named Pedro Pellot, who had the two-story house built on the 1,292 acres of land. The upper floor was the home of the landowner and his family; the ground floor was used as a warehouse and office. There were other structures built on the land as well: the mill, the carpentry house, the place where the coffee machines were housed, and the glacis or beds for drying coffee.

There was also a village called Petit Guineé, where the enslaved people lived. Three quarters of the land was cultivated for coffee and the rest for sugar cane, minor fruits and livestock.

Due to their constant trips to France, the Pellot brothers left the estate in charge of the family advisor, Juan Labadie. After the death of Don Pedro, in 1860, Labadie bought the estate and it was afterwards known as Casa Labadie. In 1878, the landowner married the young Cornelia Pellot, a descendant of the family, who was then widowed in 1893.

After Labadie’s death, the hacienda remained in the custody of Manuel Lamela-Valdés, a family friend. But the house was uncomfortable and unsafe for Mrs. Pellot. So the administrator recommended the construction of a stronger and more elegant residence. This was how Labadie Mansion was born. It was designed by French engineer Paul Servojean, who also managed the Coloso Sugar Cane Refinery. The construction, under the care of Manuel Gómez-Tejera from Aguadilla, was completed in 1905.

That is part of the history that summarizes the origins of this place. It later served as inspiration for Moca writer Enrique Laguerre. With this building he captured life during this period and the sugar industry in his novel La Llamarada (1935).

“(Laguerre) would stick around the area writing novels and one of his most famous was La Llamarada. It was based on everything that happened on this hacienda, but he changed the names to protect the identity of the people,” said Maileen Barreto, museum tourist guide.

The residence was abandoned, until in 1993 the municipality of Moca acquired the land and restored the house. It then became the Palacete Los Moreau house museum, in honor of the writer’s novel. His remains currently rest in the hacienda’s patio.

The museum has two main rooms in which antiques donated by citizens are exhibited. On the first floor is the Sala de los Alcaldes (Hall of the Mayors), with photographs of past municipal leaders. On the second floor is the Sala de los Gobernadores (Hall of the Governors), decorated with images of past Puerto Rican governors. There is a library in the basement which is also used as a conference room.

The museum is open to the public, free of charge, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You can visit via appointment by calling 787-830-4475. In addition, private events and recreational activities are held in its surroundings so they can enjoy the beauty of the landscape.