Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The home of the knight of Lamothe-Cadillac, located in Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Grave, is a 17th century historical monument. This simple ground floor building is known to be the birthplace of Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac, founder of the city of Detroit in the United States, born March 5, 1658. The house, surrounded by two later buildings (late 18th and early 19th centuries), probably underwent modifications due to these adjacent buildings, including its facade overlooking the current garden.

The house has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1973, with protection on its facades and roofs. It is owned by the commune at 7 Rue Lamothe Cadillac, in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, in the Occitanie region. Available sources, such as Monumentum, indicate that its location is considered "a priori satisfactory", although uncertainties remain about its original state due to the surrounding transformations.

The knight of Lamothe-Cadillac, an emblematic figure linked to this place, marked history by his role in the founding of Detroit in 1701. The house, though modest, symbolizes a transatlantic link between France and North America. The protected elements, inscribed by ministerial decree, testify to its heritage importance, despite the architectural adaptations suffered over the centuries.

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