“106 homes fully renovated”. That’s not something you hear every day. I’m talking about Rue Louis-Blanc here in Paris. This street tells a tale of transformation. It runs through the 10th arrondissement.
Rue Louis-Blanc starts at Place du Colonel-Fabien. It ends at Boulevard de la Chapelle. The street even crosses the Canal Saint-Martin. It does this via the Pont Maria-Pacôme. Quite a journey for one street.
The street is named after Louis Blanc. He was a French historian and politician. He lived from 1811 to 1882. The street’s history is quite interesting.
Sections of Rue Louis-Blanc appear on old maps. A 1728 map labels it “Chemin de la Voirie.” By 1790, it was known as “Rue de la Voirie”. This name came from its location. It bordered Montfaucon’s first waste disposal site. This site was near the Montfaucon gibbet. The gibbet was removed in 1760. The waste site was moved in 1772. It went further northeast, below Butte-Chaumont.
In 1789, the Wall of the Farmers-General was built here. Also the Combat barrier appeared. Cord factories were nearby. They made cords from guts. This led to another name. It became known as “Rue de la Boyauterie”. This translates to “gut street”.
Police Prefect Louis Nicolas Dubois made a decree. It banned gut-working in Paris. To honor him, residents removed the “Boyauderie” signs. They replaced them with “Rue Dubois”. This lasted five years. Then, it went back to “Rue de la Boyauderie.”
Later, it was named “Rue de la Butte-Chaumont”. At that time, it stopped at Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Martin. Royal order extended it later. This reached between the Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Martin and Rue du Château-Landon.
It was extended again. This happened between Rue du Château-Landon and Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis. This extension eliminated Rue des Fossés-Saint-Martin. The street was completed in 1876. A monument marks this at the corner of Rue de l’Aqueduc. Finally, the street was named “Rue Louis-Blanc.”
Part of the street bordered the ZAC Jemmapes-Grange-aux-Belles. Paul Éluard, the poet, lived here from 1908. Number 10 saw a tragic event. The antisemitic murder of Sébastien Selam happened in 2003. The labor court of Paris is at number 27. It was previously located on Rue Aubé. An old fire station sits at the corner. It stands at the intersection of Rue du Château-Landon, Philippe-de-Girard, and Louis-Blanc. Antoine Soudée designed it. It was built between 1876 and 1879.
In 2024, the building at 5-9 Rue Louis Blanc got a full makeover. The renovation improved its energy use. The comfort of the residents was significantly improved.
So, as you walk along Rue Louis-Blanc. Remember its long history. Think of the changes it has seen. Gut street to a modern residential area. It is a small reflection of Paris itself. Always changing and adapting.