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Origin and history

The Benac building is an emblematic building of Vernon, in the Eure, dating from the 15th century. Located at the corner of Carnot and Pont streets, it is distinguished by its half-timbered structure and its ground corbellations, characteristic of Norman medieval architecture. The stone ground floor and wood-pan floors, with a richly worked gable, bear witness to the constructive techniques of the era. The monument housed successively the Hôtel du Cheval Blanc, the Marine Hotel, and then a gendarmerie in the 19th century.

In the 17th century, the ensemble was enlarged to form a private hotel belonging to the family Le Moine de Bellisle, including stables and a landscaped garden bordering the Seine. In the mid-19th century, the site became a hotel establishment before being occupied by the gendarmerie from 1860 to 1964. A major restoration in 1933-34, carried out by the departmental architect Hugot, reveals medieval structures by removing the modern coatings and restoring the mouldings.

In 1964, the town of Vernon acquired the premises to install a museum, opened in 1983 under the name of Alphonse-Georges Poulain, local historian and former curator of municipal collections. The building, which has been partially protected since 1926 (inscription of the "postel" in the corner), now houses the municipal museum, accessible by a contiguous building on Rue du Pont. Its architecture thus combines elements of the 15th, 17th and 18th centuries, reflecting its functional and stylistic evolution.

The Alphonse-Georges Poulain Museum, part of the Benac building, celebrates local history and archaeology. The site, marked by successive transformations, illustrates the adaptation of old buildings to changing needs, from aristocratic accommodation to public and cultural functions. Its inscription in historic monuments underscores its heritage value, both for its architecture and for its role in Vernon's collective memory.

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