Saint James Folie

Claude Baudard de Vaudesir, Baron de Sainte-James and wealthy financier, bought this estate in 1772.  At this point, this land was just countryside.  In 1777, the Count of Artois had a folly (a pleasure pavilion – a small house) built for himself in what is now Park Bagatelle right down the street (see last week’s post on the folly at Park Bagatelle).  So Baron Sainte-James wanted to have a folly to compete with the Count of Artois’ folly.  Unfortunately, after it was finished, the Baron went bankrupt and the house and grounds changed hands and the property was subdivided several times in the years after.  Originally the house and all of its adjacent buildings and grounds covered 30 acres. But after the property was subdivided several times, the house, remaining few outbuildings and grounds were only 4½ acres.  In 1952 the house was sold to the State and eventually passed to the city.  Later the house served as the administrative building for a high school that was built on part of the property. In 2006, the gardens were opened to the public.  The entire estate is still in disrepair and the house and the grounds are in a long process of renovation.  But in spite of all that, it’s still a lovely little park in the center of the city.