History Restaurant & Café Gouverneur de Rouville

On January the 25th in 1737, Dorothea Brugman is the first one who builds on the place where Restaurant & Café Gouverneur de Rouville has been established at the moment.
She has acquired the ground of the director of the West-Indian Company,
Juan Pedro van Collen at those days.
The building site has been built on with several buildings during al those years, what you still can see. Several families have lived in those houses.

Till the time that the Rouvilleweg was established in 1950, the coral bordered directly to
Saint Annabaai. In 1967 the owner at that time, Jacques Ellis, sold the historical complex to Foundation Monument Care Curaçao, to be insured that the buildings will kept remain for the future.

They started the restoration in 70’s and the building was let to several institutions. They started once again with a restoration in 1987.
In 1988, with the heavy rain fall during the hurricane Joan, the house collapsed partially.

The building became for the first time a catering industry establishment in 1989, "rum runners", what is changed into "West Indies" in 1997. ‘West Indies’ was taken over in 2001 by the current operators. They’ve changed the name, after a renovating, into Restaurant & Café Gouverneur the Rouville, shortly said "De Gouverneur".
This name had been chosen because of the street where the building is located, the Rouvilleroad.

Abraham the Rouville was born on May 13th in 1812 at Middelharnis, The Netherlands.
In the course of years he had build an impressive state of services. In 1835 he went up at the Dutch state-scientist Thorbecke to doctor in the rights. Later he was appointed as a secretary of the municipality Brielle and in 1851 he was appointed as citizen master of this city.
He came to Curaçao in 1856. At this place he became installed as a solicitor of the king and oldest member of the colonial Council. In 1866, he was appointed, after fulfilling its task as solicitor -general, to governor of the colony Curaçao.

During its profession term the living-standard and the infrastructure of the island were revalued very fast. After fulfilling its office he was honorably dismissed in 1870, and he left Curaçao in 1871.
Up to on the day of today the Rouville still pleased among the local people and leaves an indelible impression behind in the history Curaçao.