Thinking about names, does Stains sound like a place teeming with ponds? It just might be. The name Stains likely comes from the Latin word “Stagna”. That means swamped place or pond.
Stains is a commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis department. It resides in the northern suburbs of Paris. The center of Paris is 11.6 km away from Stains.
Let me tell you more about Stains. Its history is quite interesting.
Back in 1213, the name Stains appeared in a charter. The abbey of Saint-Denis declared Stains an independent parish. But in the 17th century, Stains fell under the parish of Saint-Léger. Saint-Denis was then a village.
Several lords shared the territory until the French Revolution. They built castles. Toussaint Bellanger’s castle was the most important.
The main activity was wine growing. They made a light wine with low alcohol content. In 1788, they produced 2034 hectoliters. Wines with higher alcohol content arrived by train. This caused the wine activity to disappear. The wine growers became market gardeners. At this time, Stains had only 150 inhabitants.
Stains began to grow in the 19th century. The industrial revolution created a demand for labor. Stains benefited from its proximity to Paris. It also benefited from railway transport. A garden city was built starting in 1921. This was to meet the high demand for worker housing.
Stains was marked by three wars. In 1870, Prussian armies pillaged the town. During World War I, German bombs fell on Jean-Durand street. The people of Stains got a left-wing municipality in 1935. Jean Chardavoine was the first communist mayor. German troops occupied Stains on June 13, 1940 during World War II. Stains rose up in mid-August 1944. It freed itself. Leclerc division troops entered the city on August 27, 1944. 124 people from Stains died during the Nazi occupation. Louis Bordes became mayor after the liberation. He was at the head of the French Tirailleurs and Partisans.
After years of reconstruction, Stains developed constantly. Large housing complexes were built to respond to a housing crisis. The city’s population doubled from 1954 to 1973.
Stains experienced a recession. This was due to the deindustrialization of the Plaine Saint-Denis. Today, Stains is developing again. Its population is growing. Stains joined the Plaine Commune in 2003.
The Notre Dame de l’Assomption church is a historical monument. The parish of Stains was created in 1213. The church was rebuilt in the 16th century. Maurice Utrillo made it famous. The bell tower was built starting in 1625. Its high altar is classified as a historical monument.
The Garden City is another important site in Stains. It has been protected since 1976. It has 1700 homes in individual houses and small buildings. Construction began in 1921. Gonnot and Albenque were the architects. The goal was to respond to the high demand for worker housing.
Paul Eluard often took refuge in Stains in the mid-1920s. He stayed in a small wooden house. It belonged to his parents. It was located at the corner of Aristide-Briand avenue and Jean-Jaurès street.
With its many gardens, Stains has a special relationship with nature. The city obtained its first flower in 2003. This was at the regional competition for flowered cities. It then got a second flower in 2007.
Stains offers a unique blend of history and community. Its evolution reflects broader trends. It has grown from rural roots to an industrial center. It now focuses on urban renewal and community development.