'Gingerbread' architecture, a term coined by American tourists in the 1950's who visited Haiti has long been the term used to call these timber framed houses. This style of architecture ceased to be built in 1925 as it was banned in the city due to it being a fire hazard.

The Gingerbread Houses reflected a time of prosperity and creativity when  Haiti was a vibrant part of the international community. It had hosted the  Paris Exposition in 1900 which saw the local Haitian artists incorporating foreign influences into its indigenous art and architecture.

The hotel Oloffson, stands proudly and is the epitome of the typical Haitian gingerbread architecture. It was built in the late 19th century as a private home.

The property owned by the Sam family who had a lineage of Haitian presidents.  Tirésias Simon-Sam was president of Haiti from 1896 to 1902 and the mansion was built by Tirésias's son, Jean Vilbrun Guillaume Sam. The Sams lived in the mansion until 1915, when Guillaume himself became president but only for five months until he was torn to pieces by an angry mob.