Registration for Historic Monuments 2024 (≈ 2024)
Total protection of the building and its parcel.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The old bath-douchs of the Parc de Foucaud, in full, as delimited in red on the plan annexed to the decree, sis 6 avenue Dom Vayssette, on the plot shown in the cadastre section BY n° 458: inscription by order of 3 June 2024
Key figures
Léon Daures - Architect
Master d'oeuvre des bains-douches de Foucaud.
Origin and history
The former Bed and Breakfast Baths of Foucaud Park, located in Gaillac in the Tarn department, have been a building listed as a Historic Monument since June 3, 2024. This building, designed by architect Léon Daures, is representative of the hygiene public facilities developed in the 20th century to meet the health needs of urban populations. Its inscription protects the entire structure, including associated cadastral parcels, emphasizing its heritage and architectural importance.
The monument is located at 6 Dom Vayssette Avenue, on a plot identified in the cadastre under section BY 458. Although the accuracy of its location is considered "passable" (note of 5/10), its address is clearly documented in the Mérimée and INSEE bases, linking it administratively to the commune of Gaillac (code INSEE 81099) and to the Occitanie region. Municipal property, its current use (visit, rental, or other) is not specified in the available sources, but its protected status guarantees its conservation.
The architect Léon Daures, master of the project, is the only historical person explicitly associated with this monument in the archives consulted. The dowel baths, typical of public health policies of the early twentieth century, illustrated a desire to improve the living conditions of the popular classes by providing access to body hygiene. These facilities, often integrated into parks or green spaces such as Foucaud's, also played a social role in promoting mix and health education.
The official protection of the site in 2024 marks a late recognition of its heritage value, in a context where many dowel baths have disappeared or been reconverted. The available data do not mention the exact date of construction or any subsequent changes, but the recent listing suggests a renewed interest in this type of industrial and social heritage. Sources are limited to Monumentum bases and internal archives, without additional details on materials, architectural style, or precise historical uses.
