Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

This house, built in limestone rubble coated between the 15th and 17th centuries, is distinguished by its hybrid architecture combining house bodies, vaulted carriageway and traditional barn. The main building, parallel to the street, has an anterior facade adorned with a meneau bay transformed into a window holder, with a typical 15th to 16th century brace lintel. Upstairs, rectangular and ground windows, as well as crow alignments for foregrounds, testify to its stylistic evolution. The chevron-carrying-farm frame and the original stone kitchen fireplace are preserved alongside 18th to 19th century layouts.

On the courtyard side, a stone staircase leads to a ceiling gallery, supported by three columns with a variety of capitals (including a wooden remake). This gallery, probably added in the 17th century, overlooks the entrance of the cellar, accessible by an external staircase right. The barn, dated from the 18th century, retains its original organization: two stables frame a central driveway, and a vast "housing" sheltered under an apparent structure. Together, covered with mechanical tiles, illustrates the adaptation of agricultural and residential spaces to local needs.

Nicknamed "the Chapter" with reference to the college of canons founded in 1341 by Gauthier de Ray (disposed to the Revolution), this house could have housed one of these religious. Sold as a national property in 1791 to the Caplier Philippe Marchand, then to the farmer Louis Pelletier in 1794, she remained in this family until 1873 before moving to Augustin Viard. Classified as a Historical Monument in 2013 for its house body, it embodies the rural and religious heritage of Haute-Saône, between medieval heritage and modern transformations.

Its location, close to the parish church and on the street leading to the castle, highlights its role in the community life of Ray-sur-Saône. The architectural remains — lintels in accolade, high gables, old frame — allow to date the house body of the 15th–12th centuries, while the barn and stables reflect the agricultural practices of the 18th–12th centuries. Despite subsequent changes, the building retains rare historical consistency, combining residential, religious and agricultural functions.

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