Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Arsenal du Havre was created in 1671 by Louis XIV and Colbert to strengthen the Royal Navy. Located on the banks of the King's basin, it initially consisted of four buildings (poudrière, warehouse, armament store) and a general store built in 1669. A wall was erected in 1680 to secure the site and place it under military jurisdiction. Between 1671 and 1824, more than 900 ships were built, making Le Havre a strategic port.

In 1776, architect Paul-Michel Thibaut rebuilt the damaged general store, adding a limestone facade decorated with a clock and maritime cartridges. This building, surmounted by a peristyle, became the symbol of the arsenal. In the 18th century, the site also served as a prison and "black depository", where slaves in forced formation were held before they returned to the colonies. On 15 July 1789, rioters seized the arsenal to arm in the post-Prise revolts of the Bastille.

The arsenal closed in 1824 with the abolition of the military port for the benefit of Cherbourg and Brest. The general store, the only vestige after 1825, was classified as a historical monument in 1934 thanks to the intervention of Georges Priem. Occupied by the Wehrmacht during World War II, it was destroyed in 1944. Today, there is only one sculpted door left (Museum André Malraux) and one armillary sphere (Municipal Archives).

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