In the Beginning

Around 1870, the construction of a new primary school began in the village of Roujan. The work happened with help of a horse and carriage, without electricity, running water or sanitary facilities for the builders. Around 1875, two classrooms were completed with housing for the teachers and their families on the second floor. Initially intended to be a boys’ school, the new campus was ready.

The Préau (half covered playground area) had latrines for the children and there were no showers in the main building, or anywhere else onsite. Water was drawn from the well on the property. Until the 1980s, the neighbour across the street used to access the well fetching, as she said, “wonderfully cold” water there in the summer because there was no running water in the village yet and they didn’t have a refrigerator. There were oil lamps and people sat around the table by candlelight. The classrooms and some of the rooms had fireplaces.

After the Second World War, a third classroom with an apartment above was built.

There was only one flight of stairs in the building to service three individual apartments. When we bought the school, we didn’t quite understand why. The former headmaster, who now lives around the corner, asked with a big smile if we understood. He said they didn’t have to build a second staircase because he was married to the teacher in the other apartment. Their living space encompassed two apartments for themselves and their four children until 1972; after that, the apartments sat empty until 2017.

The two village primary schools, initially boys only and for girls only, joined forces in the late 1960’s. The school for girls became the lower primary, and the school for boys the upper three years. Our building continued to function in that way until 2009, when the village opened up a new building to house all the years.

A Second Life

We have renovated the property in recent years. The school building now has its own sanitary facilities, running water and electricity. The latrines are gone but the freshwater well is still there. The schoolyard has been converted into a pool area, a shared lounge space and private terraces in front of each house.

Each classroom has now been converted into a spacious living room plus sitting room, play corner, and a very spacious kitchen. The second floor includes a total of 11 bedrooms with one double or two single beds each, and each equipped with private en-suite bathrooms. The three houses can be locked off to include three or four bedrooms each, or opened up for multiple family or group accommodation.

We look forward to the school’s new life as Maison de la Plume, holiday rentals and retreat/conference centre.