The construction of this residence, was funded by Mrs. Prada as a gift for her husband, Dr Enrique Prada, the first Mayor of Port of Spain It was the home of the Prada family for 19 years. The house was built in 1904 by George Brown of the Trinidad Trading Company under the guidance of Dr Prada, who had a particular interest in the design and construction of building. Dr Prada was a scholar, a medical doctor, and a public servant. Born in Venezuela in 1867, he came to Trinidad at an early age, where he lived until he died in 1944. The name Mille Fleurs is original and given by Mrs. Prada herself as she loved flowers and kept a beautiful garden.

In 1923, Mille Fleurs was sold to Joseph Salvatori, from which time it became the residence of the Salvatori family. He used it to host lavish parties some of which raised funds for the French Resistance movement. For this work, he was awarded France’s highest accolade – the Medal of Honour. After the death of Mr. Salvatori in 1959. Mrs. Salvatori was the sole occupant until her death in 1971. The house subsequently became the property of Mrs. Pierre Lelong, the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Salvatori. Mrs. Lelong lived in Paris, and in 1973 she sold the Mille Fleurs to George Matouk.

In June 1979, the government of Trinidad and Tobago purchased the house from Mr Matouk. Since then, the building has been used by state agencies for a variety of programmes such as industrial cottages and community business initiatives and as the headquarters for Carifesta V in 1991. The building stayed under the Ministry of Culture’s jurisdiction for several years. In 2000, it was assigned to the Ministry of Environment, before being handed over to the Law Association for a brief period. It became extremely dilapidated and was carded for replacement until a closer review revealed that it could be saved.

Its architectural style has been described as French Provincial, although it incorporates many other styles as was customary at the time. Although Mille Fleurs is less of a show piece than some of its neighbours, the quality of finish and detailing is perhaps of a far higher quality. The intricately carved balusters, the marble treads, and risers into the building, the beautifully hand carved internal staircase, the elaborate and yet subtle cast iron columns and brackets were all carefully restored and refurbished by Cuban and local craftsmen. Portions of the original fountain were refurbished and incorporated into the new fountain using pictures of the old fountain as a guide.

 The restoration of Heritage House was completed in 2020 and was handed over to the National Trust. In 2021, a decision was made to refurbish the former Mews to become the Headquarters of the National Trust and this is ongoing.

Address: Lot 23 Maraval Road, St. Clair

Town/City: Port of Spain

Region: Port of Spain

Site Type: Cultural Heritage

Ownership: Public

Public Accessibility: Limited Access

Grade: Grade 1 – Property in which there should be no change, nor alteration to its shape or form, nor in or upon any material object, plant or other thing that may deform or deface the property;

Cultural Community: British, Spanish, Latin American

Site Features: Residences & Great Houses