Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Douai House, built between 1686 and 1687, is a typical example of the urban architecture of the late seventeenth century in the region. The original building, composed of three square floors and a high slate top illuminated by two skylights, was completed in the 19th century by an addition of two spans to the left. These interior transformations, especially in the 18th century, left traces of rock-style woodwork, reflecting the stylistic evolutions of the era. The ground floor, in sandstone, is marked by Tuscan pilasters, while the addition of the nineteenth century, distinguished by a span framed by similar pilasters, extends on the rue du Pied d'Argent with three additional spans.

The building rests on a sandstone base, and its entrance door, to the right of the Petite-Place, forms a shop with the return to the rue de la Massue. Inside, in spite of the simplicity of the preserved elements (chimneys, closets), the old layout of the floors was preserved. The roof terrace with balustrade, as well as the pilasters and balustrades of the first third of the twentieth century, complete to characterize this architectural ensemble. Listed at the Historic Monuments in 2010 for its facades and roofs, this monument reflects both the know-how of the local master masons and the successive adaptations to urban needs.

Master masons Jean Drument, François Picquo and Dominique Delis contributed to its construction, illustrating the importance of artisans in the building of the customs heritage. The house, now owned by a private company, thus embodies almost three centuries of architectural and urban history, from its foundation in the late seventeenth century to its recent modifications.

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