Klein Kwartier

Contrary to what the name suggests, the plantation, like Groot Kwartier, never had any military significance.

Klein Kwartier, or Vrede or Kwarti Chikí, with its eponymous little plantation house, was known above all for its orangeries: on the 111 hectares of the plantation mainly laraha trees were planted: 400 in 1898 and even about 1,000 at the beginning of the 20th century.

The name Laraha, or Curaçao Orange or Citrus aurantium, for the tree and fruit of this citrus, comes from the Portuguese Laranja for orange. It was taken along on Spanish ships for the necessary vitamin C intake. It was originally introduced to Curaçao by the Spaniards in 1527, but because of the dry climate and the hard soil it turned out not to take hold here. The taste is so bitter that even the Curaçao goats, which eat everything, left the little green orange alone.

Decades later, the dried peels of the feral fruits did prove useful after all. There was busy experimentation and orangeries were laid out, where the green fruits were harvested 2 times a year. They were then laid out to dry, and from the so-called "Curaçao peel" oil was pressed, the main ingredient for the unique Curaçao Liqueur and other herbal drinks.

Secret recipe

The liqueur was distilled by the boticarios — pharmacists — Edgar Senior and Isaac Chumaceiro behind the then botica Excelsior in the Heerenstraat. They did this on the basis of a secret family recipe that had been developed by Chumaceiro's grandfather.

In 1900 — the plantation was then worth 15,000 guilders — Klein Kwartier was owned by the Senior family, who used peels of the laraha to prepare the Curaçao liqueur.

In 1947 the widow of Chumaceiro, who was still in possession of this recipe, was bought out by the Seniors, and they started large-scale production of the liqueur at plantation house Chobolobo, which was bought for this purpose.

Through devaluation of the Dutch and English currency, demand for Curaçao liqueur later fell to a significant extent, and only the orangeries on Klein and Groot Kwartier were still irrigated.

Water plant

Around 1850 cochineal cultivation was also practised at Klein Kwartier, and in 1851 American ploughs were also present for agriculture. The plantation was auctioned a number of times, including in 1837, because of failed harvests.

In 1927 the government bought Klein Kwartier to set up a water plant here, which remained in operation until 1968. The little plantation house was then fitted out as a residence for the director and his family. Later the government doctor was also stationed here before it was transferred to Monumentenzorg (Monuments Care). Klein Kwartier is currently rented out by an operator for events, parties and weddings.

See also Chobolobo and Het Ruiterkwartier