What if I told you that this unassuming street, Rue Beaujon, was once the heart of an aristocratic playground? This street carries the name of Nicolas Beaujon. He was a commoner who rose to wealth through marriage.
Rue Beaujon is more than just a street. It is a journey back to 18th-century Paris. Beaujon transformed a wilderness into a fashionable estate. It covered 12 acres. That is valuable land today.
Imagine, if you will, a vast “country” estate. It once stretched where you now stand on Rue Beaujon. Nicolas Beaujon created a haven. This haven attracted the city’s elite.
One visitor described Beaujon’s home as a hermitage. It was set in an English garden. This garden included a menagerie and even a chapel. It was like a slice of countryside.
Beaujon himself was an interesting character. He was often ill. He hosted lavish banquets but only ate spinach and water. Despite his health issues, Beaujon was generous. He established an orphanage on his land. The orphanage still stands today. It is located at number 208 on the Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré.
After Beaujon’s death, the story takes a bizarre turn. The inheritance was complicated. Beaujon had no children. Both of his brothers inherited the property. Here is the strange part. Both brothers shared the same name. They were both named Jean-Nicolas Beaujon.
The land was divided and sold. In 1801, the park became a pleasure garden. A windmill remained for decoration. In 1817, a forerunner to the rollercoaster was installed. It was called the ‘montagnes françaises’. The ride looked like a helter-skelter. It had little trolleys on wheels. It was revolutionary for its time but only lasted seven years. It closed in 1824.
The chapel that Beaujon built also had a strange history. It was sold to Georges Mnizsech from the Balzac family. During the Paris Commune, it became an ammunition depot. Mnizsech used it for occult experiments. He explored alchemy and black magic in the chapel. Later, the Rothschild family bought the chapel. They demolished it. The rotunda became part of the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild.
The building once used as an orphanage became a hospital. After the hospital moved, it became a police station. Today, it houses municipal art and leisure facilities.
Future developments are planned for this area. However, it is unlikely they will include a rollercoaster or a laboratory for the occult.
As you walk along Rue Beaujon, remember its layers of history. The aristocratic playground. The bizarre inheritance. The occult experiments. All these stories are embedded in the very ground beneath your feet. Rue Beaujon is a testament to Paris’s vibrant past.