Before the works of Colbert, Minister of Louis XIV, the Vieux Bassin of Honfleur was only a grounding port. The houses bordering it were expropriated to build the Havre de l'Enclos, larger and equipped with a lock. A new quay was built, and new dwellings started lining it. The economic and maritime rise of Honfleur contributed to their construction. The wealth produced by trade in the Americas covered them with essentes (front tiles). From wood, they became slate, more resistant to bad weather, and were decorated with marine or religious patterns.