Ever wonder where a polar explorer first drew breath? Here we are at the Maison du Commandant Charcot. This house is steeped in the history of a remarkable family. It stands at 53 Boulevard du Commandant Charcot in Neuilly-sur-Seine.
The Maison du Commandant Charcot was built in 1813. It is most notable as the birthplace of Jean-Baptiste Charcot. He was a doctor and famous explorer of the polar regions. This was also the home of his father Jean-Martin Charcot. Jean-Martin was a renowned clinician and neurologist.
The Charcot family first rented the house in 1867. They then purchased it in 1883. The family significantly expanded the house during that decade. The front and rear facades were completely reworked. They were unified using timber framing. This gave it a picturesque style resembling a chalet or a neo-Norman villa.
Notice the overhanging roofs. Admire the wide dormer windows. Observe the bow-windows, balconies, loggias, and the turret. René Simonet was the architect behind this transformation. His work was even featured in Pierre Chabat’s “Le bois Pittoresque.”
Jean-Baptiste Charcot constantly needed projects. He lived for the sea and his new family. His wandering soul had already cost him one wife. She filed for divorce on the grounds of desertion during his first polar expedition.
After returning from his voyage to the Antarctic he moved in with his elder sister Jeanne. She had also recently experienced disappointment in love. Her husband had been the powerful press baron Alfred Edwards.
The roofs of the Maison du Commandant Charcot were restored in 2016. The house has been listed as a historical monument since 1987. Specifically, the listing includes the workshop, living room, dining room, elevation, roof, and interior decor.
Step inside in your imagination. Envision the furniture and the many mementos of Professor Charcot and his son Jean-Baptiste. They are preserved inside. This building is more than just a house. It’s a portal into the lives of explorers and innovators.
Meg Cléry-Charcot sold the house in 1939. She sold it to the Caisse Régionale de Secours Mutuels Agricoles de l’Ile de France for 760000 Francs. It was transformed into offices one hundred years after it had been built. Jean-Baptiste Charcot outlived his first daughter Marion who died in 1927 aged only 32.
The Maison du Commandant Charcot stands as a testament to a family’s legacy. It embodies exploration, scientific advancement, and architectural evolution. It is a must-see location.