The hotel of the Oise prefecture, located in Beauvais, is an emblematic building housing the prefectural services of the department. Originally, it was the Saint Quentin Abbey, founded in 1067 by Bishop Guy of Saint Quentin-en-Vermandois. This monastery, governed by the rule of St Augustine, was a high religious and intellectual place, endowed with lands, mills and privileges confirmed by several popes. Two major remains remain of this period: the chapel of the Abbé (XII century) and a drop-through wall of the Abbatial Church (XI century). Desacralized during the Revolution, the abbey became a factory of painted canvases before being acquired in 1823 by the General Council to become its prefecture.
In the 17th century, the large abbey house was rebuilt, giving the site its current appearance as a classical castle. After the Revolution, the abbey, confiscated as national property, was purchased in 1790 by Jean-Pierre-Marie Sallé, who installed a factory there and modified the buildings. In 1823, the Oise department bought the estate for 140,000 francs, despite competing projects such as the former Minima convent. The development work, led by architect Charles-Henri Landon, transformed the premises into prefecture, with additions such as an administrative wing (1845) and a council hall (1932).
The abbey had a turbulent history, marked by conflicts with the Canons of Beauvais, looting (notably by the English in 1347 and during the Wars of Religion), and natural disasters (floods, fires). In the 11th century it was a political issue, with tensions between Bishop Guy and King Philip I, resolved with the support of Pope Gregory VII. The monks, faced with financial difficulties, had to borrow to survive, especially during the wars of the League (1589-1595). The abbey gradually declined from 28 religious to only 10 during the Revolution.
The transformation into a prefecture in the 19th century involved major changes: demolition of the abbey church (1824), construction of a wing linking the grand lodge to the offices, and interior improvements (office room, prefect's apartment). The site welcomed personalities such as Louis-Philippe (1831) and Charles de Gaulle (1964). The gardens, formerly French-style, were reduced, but the present park preserves three centuries-old plane trees. Ranked a historic monument in 1963, the building combines medieval heritage (the 11th century wall) and classical architecture (the 17th century facade).
Interior of the prefecture combines historical decorations and modern works. The Salon des Quatre-Saisons, with its woodwork and tapestries by Beauvais (gift by Louis XVIII in 1822), contrasts with contemporary works such as the Cheyt Pyr tapestry by Vasarely (1977-1978). The chapel, partially preserved, and the winter garden testify to the adaptation of the site to its new functions. The cellars, reinforced to support the floors, once housed looms to weave during the manufacturing period.
Today, the prefecture preserves traces of its centuries-old past: the wrought iron grille (1804), the 1918 shell impacts on a wing, and the 11th century drop-gutter integrated into the gallery. The estate, bordered by the Saint-Quentin River and the Gonard Canal, remains a symbol of Beauvaisian heritage, combining religious, industrial and administrative history. Its ranking and its pre-inventory as a remarkable garden underline its cultural and architectural importance.
