“Thirty years,” I can almost hear Baron Haussmann scoff. Thirty years it took to create what we see today. This is the story of Rue du Général-Morin.
Rue du Général-Morin no longer exists. It was a street that disappeared in 1933. But from its ashes rose a small park. This park stands in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. It sits in the northwest of the Marais district.
The park we’re standing in is named Square du Général-Morin. It honors Arthur Morin. Arthur Morin was a general and a French physicist. He lived from 1795 to 1880.
Originally, the area was Rue de Breteuil. This street was created in 1780. It ran between Rue Royale-Saint-Martin now Rue Réaumur and Rue Vaucanson.
In the early 20th century, a petition arose. It called for straightening the curved streets. By 1912, the city and state agreed. In 1913, the city bought properties on Rue du Général-Morin. Numbers 6 and 8 were marked for demolition. Then World War I broke out. The project stalled.
In 1927, the city decided to evict tenants from houses 6 and 8. By 1930, plans were made. The name A. Morin would be preserved in the new park. It would replace the street. In 1932, number 1 Rue de Vaucanson was demolished. But numbers 6-8 on Rue du Général Morin still had eight tenants and a merchant. The merchant appealed the eviction.
Finally, in 1933, Rue du Général-Morin vanished. It made way for the small park that is the Square du Général-Morin.
Behind the chapel of the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers lies this square. It provides access to the museum. Lines 3 and 11 serve this site. You can arrive by Métro at the Arts et Métiers station.
Since 2010, a bronze statue has been in the square. It’s a copy of Bartholdi’s Statue of Liberty. It stands 2.83 meters tall. This statue is number 1 of an original set of 12. The Musée des Arts et Métiers commissioned it. The Susse foundry cast it. France sent this Statue of Liberty to the United States. It was to strengthen Franco-American friendship.
The statue sailed from Le Havre on the French container ship Tosca. First, it was placed on Ellis Island between July 1 and July 4. This was for Independence Day. Then, it was displayed in the gardens of the French Embassy in Washington. This began on July 14, for the French National Holiday. It was to stay there for a decade. It was a loan from the Musée des Arts et Métiers.
So, the next time you’re here take a look around. Remember the street that disappeared. Remember the general and physicist. Remember the friendship between France and the United States. All of that is embedded in the Square du Général-Morin.