The Maison Oberkampf of Jouy en Josas !!!

Posted in France, Versailles

I am becoming sentimental again, and this is a town of memories on my road warrior mode in my former Yvelines. I again found me a picture in my cd rom vault that should be in my blog for you and me. A passing memory but as everything in my blog, part of my life’s history that should be here.The town of Jouy-en-Josas is located in the Yvelines  department,no, 78, in the Île-de-France region of my belle France.  Therefore, this is my take on the Maison Oberkampf of Jouy en Josas !!!  Hope you enjoy the post as I.

Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf lived for a year in this house, where the Toile de Jouy fabric was printed on May 1, 1760. In the adjoining garden are the tombstones of the Oberkampf family. The house is located opposite the City/town hall, along the Bièvre river. It is mentioned in the archives in 1745 but must be older.The current City/town hall was once part of Oberkampf’s residence. Built in 1766 within the grounds of the linen factory, he lived there with his entire family , This house, built on stilts in 1766 on the site of a former warehouse, was shaped like a flared U. It was located within the factory grounds; the Grand Rue , today Rue Oberkampf ran around it. Later, the street was redesigned, and in 1854 the central part of the building was demolished to make way for Avenue Jean Jaurès. Today, only the two wings of the building on either side of the avenue remain.

Madame Oberkampf had laid out an English-style garden on the site of what is now the Pétineau Residence. Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf, his wife, and their children lived in the south wing of this house, while the north wing, originally a dye workshop, was used by other members of his family: his two brothers-in-law and his six Widmer nephews. The house comprised a ground floor, a first floor, and a second floor topped by a slate roof. The entrance to the house was the one that now faces Avenue Jean Jaurès. It is important to note that the former ground floor was converted into a basement because a significant embankment had to be built during the construction of the railway in 1875 to reduce the gradient of the tracks leading to Versailles and thus allow the train to run. As a result, the current ground floor was originally the first floor. The layout and decoration of the rooms evolved and changed according to family needs and events. This spacious house served as the factory’s headquarters. Its meticulous decor also served as a showcase for its products. The house received many illustrious visitors, including Marie Antoinette, the future Charles X, Napoleon with his two wives Josephine and Marie-Louise, numerous scientists such as Monge, Gay-Lussac, Berthollet, and Chaptal, ministers like Jacques Necker and Charles-Alexandre de Calonne, poets, musicians, and even an ambassador from the Shah of Persia.

With Oberkampf elected the first mayor of Jouy-en-Josas on February 7, 1790, this house became the center of municipal life and subsequently the home of several other mayors. Oberkampf died there in his room ;the current mayor’s office on Tuesday, October 4, 1815. In 1858, the house was purchased by Jules Mallet, husband of Emilie, Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf’s daughter. The house remained in the Mallet family until 1899, when it was bought by the town to house the City/town hall and, until around 1960, the girls’ school. Today, in the City/town hall courtyard, you can find: the bust of Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf, This white marble statue was inaugurated on October 28, 1900; the factory bell was located at the factory entrance and was rung by German-speaking Swiss men, first Bossert and then Rohrer, to announce the start of the workday. Those arriving late would find the gates closed and lose their day’s work.

The Jouy en Josas tourist office on the Maison Oberkampf : https://www.jouy-en-josas-tourisme.fr/fr/fiche/5516451/mairie-maison-doberkampf/

The Yvelines dept 78 tourist office on the Maison Oberkampf : https://www.destination-yvelines.fr/visites-et-decouvertes/maison-du-pont-de-pierre/

The town of Jouy en Josas on the cloth factory of Oberkampf : https://www.jouy-en-josas.fr/oberkampf_toile_jouy.aspx

There you go folks, as said my blog is my life’s history ,here is a bit more of it, An off the beaten path city of my belleFrance, worth the detour for the history of it, me think. Do read my intro post on the town in my blog, Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Maison Oberkampf of Jouy en Josas !!! as I 

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many ch eers to all !!!

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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