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Key figures

Origin and history

The houses located place Jeanne-d'Arc in Neufchâteau, in the Vosges, constitute an architectural complex whose oldest part dates back to the sixteenth century, although the major transformations took place in the eighteenth century. The main house, in No. 2, was rebuilt from 1682 by Jean Huguet, a wealthy local merchant, after its acquisition. This building, typical of bourgeois architecture of the period, then underwent significant changes under the impulse of its successive owners.

In 1730, the property was purchased by François-Léopold Mouzon, a merchant and municipal councillor, who passed it on in 1766 to his son, François-Hyacinthe Mouzon. The latter undertook important work between 1787 and 1788, including the construction and decoration of a pavilion on a garden, in collaboration with Nicolas Flameron, master mason, and François Girardin, master sculptor. These developments, documented by contracts and plans, include the search of the façade, the extension of the courtyard and the modification of the roof, reflecting the high social status of the Mouzon family.

After the death of François-Léopold Mouzon in 1815, the house was sold to Pierre-Antoine-Victor Huot de Goncourt, uncle of the famous writers Edmond and Jules de Goncourt. In 1865, she passed into the hands of Antoine Maljean, a banker whose family occupied her until World War I. During this period, the garden pavilion even houses the Maljean Bank. The ensemble, partially protected since 1933 and classified in 1980, illustrates the architectural and social evolution of Neufchâteau over centuries.

The protected elements include the main façade, registered in 1933, and the façade and roof of the courtyard pavilion, classified in 1980. Finally, in 2019, Goncourt House was fully registered, consolidating its heritage value. The remains of the 16th century, still visible in the basement, recall the older origins of the building, while the 18th century transformations bear witness to the influence of local merchant and bourgeois families.

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