Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house at 131 Main Street in Schwenheim (Bas-Rhin) is a rare example of civilian housing dating from the second half of the 13th century, with major transformations in the 16th century. Its architecture combines medieval elements such as trilobed broken arch windows and corner chains with rustic bosses, typical of the 13th century, with Renaissance additions such as the door of the cellar dated 1580. The entrance porch, added in 1747 (dated engraved with initials A. TA. SCH.), illustrates a final phase of modifications in the 18th century.

The house retains a partially visible wooden panel structure, while the ground floor houses a vaulted cellar accessible by a door in the middle of the hanger. The rear façade has a door window, and the interior atmospheres have been adapted to the residential needs of successive periods. The outbuildings, now gone, once completed this whole. Ranked a historic monument in 1995, the house protects its porch, facades, roofs and wooden frame, which are witnesses to seven centuries of Alsatian history.

The building reflects local constructive techniques, such as the use of sandstone for frames or carved crows supporting corbellations. The shell niche between the carriage door and the pedestrian door evokes late baroque influences, while the initials engraved on the porch (A. TA. SCH.) may correspond to a former owner or craftsman. Although the accuracy of its location is considered poor (note 5/10), its official address (131 rue Principale) has remained unchanged since its classification.

Owned by a private company, the house is not open to visit, but its facade, visible from the street, offers an overview of Alsatian architectural evolution, from the Middle Ages to the modern era. The recent restorations (roof) guarantee its preservation, while emphasizing its role as vernacular heritage in the urban landscape of Schwenheim, a village in the Far East marked by a rural and artisanal history.

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