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Origin and history

The house located at 26 Place du Marché-aux-Grains in Bouxwiller, in the Lower Rhine, is a building built during the first half of the seventeenth century. It is distinguished by its architecture adapted to a sloped land, with a dripping facade overlooking the square and a facade below on the Rue des Seigneurs. The base floor, partly masonry with sandstone angle chains, contrasts with the upper levels in woodpan, including a central forebody resting on six polygonal poles. The latter, intact, features decorative elements typical of the era: carved chambranle windows, raut-lights, and posts decorated with chevron guettes.

The house was built for Thurr, receiver of finances, who in 1636 obtained permission to enlarge it provided that he did not encroach on the communal space. The forebody, erected on poles with which one bears that date, testifies to this extension. Historically, the building served partly as a grain warehouse and housed a rocking balance, hence its local nickname of Kaufhaus (Commercial House) and Waaghaus (Weight House). The facades and roofs on the street were listed as historical monuments by order of October 16, 1930, thus recognizing its heritage value.

The architecture combines traditional constructive techniques (woodpan, masonry) and topographical adaptations, such as the raised ground floor side street. The roof, with half croupes, covers both the house and the front body. Although some parts have been redesigned (window enlargement), the front body retains original details, such as the pinion's oblique legforms. This monument thus illustrates the evolution of the Alsatian bourgeois houses in the 17th century, combining utilitarian function and ornamentation.

The location of the house, in the heart of Bouxwiller, reflects its role in local economic life. The Place du Marché-aux-Grains, as its name suggests, was a central place for cereal trade, a major activity in Alsace at that time. The presence of a public balance in the building confirms its integration into this commercial network. Today, the building remains a material testimony to the urban and architectural history of the region, protected for its rarity and relative conservation status.

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