Town hall and school
Situated in the heart of the village, this building was purchased by the Town Council in 1840 for 3300 pounds. It hosted both the communal administration and the village school.
DR
In 1863 when the commune had 1736 inhabitants, the council wanted to enlarge the Town Hall. The work was going to last 4 years, during which the ground surface area of the building was going to be increased and a level added. In 1867 the Town Hall was finished. It included classrooms (one for girls and one for boys), the school teachers' accommodation, as well as offices for the Town Hall services.
The school was frequented by the village children who started at the age of 5 or 6 up until the age of 14. The school year went from 1st October to the end of June. But for many of the children it only started on 1st November, or later, and often finished in May as the children had to help their parents with the farm work.
Teaching was done in French even if many of the children only spoke Patois at home. There were holidays at Christmas and Easter, as well as a day given by the teacher for Mardi Gras and for the Vogue (village fête). Nowadays, the primary school has been transferred into a new building which met the needs of the growing number of children. At 11 the pupils go to Moutiers where there is a college and lycée.
