The State House (French: Le Château de Réduit) is the official residence of the President of Mauritius.

Originally Le Réduit, it was built as a fortress for defence against attack by Pierre Félix Barthelemy David in 1749.

In a letter dated 28 March 1748, addressed to the management of the "Compagnie des Indes", he expressed his fears and anxiety to find a place in the interior of the island where access would be difficult and where a fortress could be built.

David settled on an ideal site – a spur in the Moka Range, triangular in shape between steep gorges of the rivers Profonde and Cascade.

In 1754, one of the directors of the "Compagnie des Indes", Mr. Godeheu d'Igoville had doubted that Le Réduit would be able to withstand sustained attacks, although he admired David's work.

Under the administration of his successor, Jean Baptiste Charles de Lozier-Bouvet, botanist Jean-Baptiste Christophe Fusée-Aublet created the French garden of Le Réduit and later introduced many rare plants from America, Asia and Europe.

Pepper plants and cinnamon trees were added by Antoine Marie Desforges-Boucher, last governor of the "Compagnie des Indes".

Under the rule of Sir Robert, two botanists, Boyer and Helsenberg, explored Madagascar and the African coasts in search of rare plants for the gardens.

This is situated near the ornamental lake at the end of the garden called "Bout du Monde" – from where one can see below the confluence of the rivers Profonde and Cascade.