Semi-temporary house à Vassogne dans l'Aisne

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Origin and history

Vassogne's semi-temporary house was built in 1919 to house the Hautemont family, whose house had been destroyed by World War I bombings. This building, designed according to the Puchot model of the Emergency Construction Service (STPU), is distinguished by its simplicity and structural precariousness. The materials used come from the rubble of the village: stones, bricks, wood and tomettes, assembled on a slab of cement. The recovered wood frame is reinforced by an artisanal iron wire system and a rail counterweight. The rectangular plan revolves around a central room serving two bedrooms and an attic, with temporary furniture preserved and restored.

Designed for temporary use, this house offered more comfort than the wooden or sheet metal barracks of the time. In 1927, once the final house and the family café were built on the same plot, it was converted into an annex to house animals and equipment. This change in usage allowed it to continue, despite its initially provisional character. The house still retains a material library typical of the houses of the First Reconstruction, as well as kitchen and bedroom reconstitutions furnished with antique objects.

The house was acquired in 2018 by the Vassogne Museum Association and was restored between 2019 and 2020. It is now fully protected by a registration order under the Historic Monuments since 21 February 2020. Its current state makes it possible to understand the post-conflict living conditions and emergency reconstruction techniques implemented in the Hauts-de-France after 1918.

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