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  2. Patrimoine
  3. 97240 au François

  4. City Hall

City Hall

City Hall

    Place General de Gaulle
    97240 au François
Photo de City Hall
Crédit photo : Patrice78500 - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1800
1900
2000
1842
First municipal acquisition
1891
Destruction by cyclone
1894
Reconstruction decision
1901-1902
Construction and inauguration
1988 et 1992
Modern expansions
17 février 2022
Registration Historic Monument
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The town hall, in total, more precisely: the fence wall, the gate, the interior and the exterior of the main stone building excluding extensions; located at the corner of the rue Florent-Holo and the Place du Général de Gaulle, on plot No. 472 in the cadastre section A: inscription by order of 17 February 2022

Key figures

Jacques-Joseph Clerc - First Mayor of François Buyer of the first town hall in 1842.
Ludovic Brière de l'Isle - Mayor (1859-1863, 1865-1872) Proposes the purchase of a house for the town hall.
Homère Clément - Mayor during reconstruction Supervises post-cyclone 1891 works.
Pierre-Henri Picq - Town hall architect Designed the reconstruction in 1896.
Manuel Mence - Architect of the 1st extension Expansion in 1988.
Alex Pierre-Louis - Architect of the 2nd extension Addition of concrete in 1992.

Origin and history

The town hall of François, located in Martinique, finds its origins in the 19th century, in a context of post-cyclonic reconstruction and administrative evolution. In 1842, the first mayor, Jacques-Joseph Clerc, acquired a house to serve as a town hall, then Ludovic Briere de l'Isle proposed in 1867 the purchase of a second house to expand the premises. These buildings, destroyed by a cyclone in 1891, saw their archives saved but damaged. The decision to rebuild was taken in 1894, with plans entrusted to architect Pierre-Henri Picq, also responsible for the reconstruction of the nearby church.

The construction of the new town hall, which began in 1901, was marked by financial difficulties after the eruption of Pelee Mountain in 1902, which ruined the local economy. Despite these obstacles, the building was inaugurated the same year, combining a stone ground floor and a wooden floor. In the 20th century, two extensions (1988 and 1992) were added to meet the growth of the municipality. The building, characterized by its campanile and L-style architecture, was inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 2022, thus preserving its communal and architectural heritage.

The site, located at the corner of Florent-Holo Street and the Place du Général-de-Gaulle, replaces a former colonial prison. Its history reflects the climate, economic and social challenges of Martinique, from the era of sugar houses to administrative modernization. The original materials, such as cut stones and wood, as well as reinforced concrete expansions, illustrate the monument's adaptation to contemporary needs while maintaining its historical identity.

The inscription as Historical Monument in 2022 protects the entire main building (including its interior, fence wall and grid), excluding modern extensions. This recognition underlines its central role in communal life, from the post-slavery period to the contemporary era, through successive reconstructions that shaped its present appearance.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum

Nearby establishments