Brievengat
Neighbourhood
Ronde Klip estate in Brievengat
Brievengat Location in Curaçao
Coordinates: 12°08′53″N 68°53′40″W / 12.14806°N 68.89437°W / 12.14806; -68.89437
State	Kingdom of the Netherlands
Country	Curaçao
City	Willemstad
Area [1]
• Total	4.93 km2 (1.90 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[2]
• Total	4,695
• Density	950/km2 (2,500/sq mi)

Brievengat (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbrivə(ŋ)ˌɣɑt]) is a neighbourhood of Willemstad in Curaçao.^[3] It is located to the north of the centre of the capital, Willemstad, and to the east of the Hato International Airport.

Overview

The origin of the name Brievengat (English: Letter hole) is unclear. It was first mentioned in 1708 in a will as the name of a plantation.^[4] The ground was very fertile, and the plantation flourished until 1877 when a hurricane destroyed the buildings, and killed about 75% of the animals. In 1924, the terrain was sold to Royal Dutch Shell who in turn sold it in 1954 to the monument trust who restored the buildings.^[5] In 1956, construction started of a residential neighbourhood with 1,400 houses on the former plantation grounds.^[6]

Landhuis Brievengat

The estate was built in the 18th century. The kitchen dates from the 19th century. The estate has a rectangular shape with galleries on the front and rear of the building. On the side of the buildings are two towers. The buildings has been designed a monument.^[7] The estate is nowadays in use as an entertainment centre.^[8]

Notable people

• Yurendell DeCaster (born 1979), Dutch professional baseballer.^{[citation needed]}