Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house located 45 rue Gambetta in Condé-sur-l'Escaut is a typical example of urban architecture of the 4th quarter of the 18th century, marked by a facade in grey limestone entirely composed of monolithic elements. These blocks, assembled in vertical or horizontal poles, form a unique structure where each element corresponds to a separate piece of stone, lined inside by a brick masonry. Drums are based on lead joints on the ground floor, while bays are surmounted by segmentar arches. An engraved date (1785) and an anchor carved on the central allegory suggest a sponsor linked to the batellerie, flourishing activity in Condé at that time.

The building is organised in depth with a main body on the street front, followed by a courtyard (today covered) and a second building in the back of the plot. The basement consists of two vaulted rooms in a cradle, while the ground floor has arches "to the picard" (parallel bricks falling on solives). The top floor, illuminated by a stone skylight, is covered by a long-paned roof covered with Flemish tiles. The facade, sober and mineral, was once softened by wooden shutters and wood joinery, visible on 1969 photographic archives. The house, now a private property housing a medical laboratory, saw its facades and roofs inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 2007.

The constructive peculiarity of this house lies in the assembly of monolithic stones on the façade, hung on an invisible brick frame. This system, rare for the time, contrasts with the traditional houses of the region. The sculpted anchor and the date of 1785 point to the connection of the owner (unidentified) with the river trade, the dominant economic sector in Condé-sur-l'Escaut in the eighteenth century. The traces of tools visible on the base and the discrete modeling (agafe of the keys of the arches) testify to a neat craftsmanship, characteristic of the homes of local notables.

At the back, the façade overlooking the covered courtyard is now coated, while the building at the bottom of the plot retains a ceiling with beams and solives. The transformation into a laboratory has modified some interior arrangements, such as the removal of the suspended ceiling under the picardic vaults. Despite these adaptations, the house remains a remarkable architectural testimony, illustrating both the constructive techniques of the time and the economic influence of the shipbuilding on the urban heritage of the region.

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