House à Arras dans le Pas-de-Calais

Timeline

Heritage classified

Origin and history

The house located in 18 Place Guy-Mollet (formerly Place Sainte-Croix) in Arras is a representative civil building from the 2nd quarter of the 18th century. This monument, whose facades and roofs have been inscribed in the Historical Monuments since 1976, illustrates the bourgeois domestic architecture of this period in the north of France. Its location in the heart of Arras, the major city of Hauts-de-France, reflects the urban and economic importance of the city at that time.

The protection of its external elements (façades and roofs) by ministerial decree in 1976 underlines its heritage value, although the available sources do not specify its original use or its potential owners. This type of house, typical of the Enlightenment century, reflects the stylistic and social evolutions of urban habitat, marked by an increasing concern for symmetry and ornamentation.

The location of this monument, now identified with an accuracy deemed "passable" (note 5/10), corresponds to the historic address of Place Sainte-Croix, renowned from Guy-Mollet Square. This change in toponymy reflects the urban and memorial transformations of Arras, without the archives consulted detailing the reasons for this change. No information is available about its current accessibility or possible contemporary uses (visits, rentals, etc.).

Data from the Merimée database and Monumentum confirm its status as a Historical Monument, but do not provide any information on its architect, sponsors, or significant events that would take place there. The absence of complementary sources limits the knowledge of its specific history, although its inscription in the title of protected monuments makes it a privileged witness of the Arrange heritage.

The department of Pas-de-Calais, on which Arras depends, was characterized in the 18th century by a mixed economy, combining agriculture, textile trade and craft activities. Bourgeois houses like this often housed wealthy families linked to trading or local government, playing a central role in the social and economic life of the city. Their preservation makes it possible today to study the lifestyles and urban hierarchies of the Old Regime.

Finally, the mention of the Insee code (62041) and the administrative region (Hauts-de-France, formerly Nord-Pas-de-Calais) places this monument in a territory marked by rich history, repeated border conflicts, and a strong cultural identity. Despite the lack of details about its construction or its occupants, this house remains a tangible milestone in the architectural heritage of the Arrêge.

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