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Origin and history

The town hall of Gennes is an emblematic building of the 2nd quarter of the 19th century, located in the village of Gennes, in the Doubs department. Originally, in 1839, architect Martin's plans provided only for the construction of a washhouse. However, the local authorities decided to raise the structure to include a common house, thus marking a dual utilitarian and administrative vocation.

The building was built from 1840 to 1844, and although the town hall did not settle there until the 20th century, it soon became a central symbol of community life. Its facades and roofs, characteristic of the rural architecture of the period, were protected as historical monuments by an order of 29 October 1975. The washhouse, located on the ground floor, and the town hall upstairs, are connected by a horse-drawn iron staircase, reflecting an ingenious optimization of space.

Located in the heart of the village, this monument illustrates the evolution of municipal needs in the 19th century, where water and administrative infrastructure combined to serve a predominantly rural population. The protection of its external elements bears witness to the recognition of its heritage importance, both architecturally and socially. The building remains today a tangible vestige of the local dynamics of this period, where water and public administration played central roles in the village organization.

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