La Neuve Tuilerie, bed and breakfast is 220 km from Paris and 246 km from Strasbourg, in the Pays d'Argonne that is nicknamed "the land where the tree is king".

This geographical entity covers an area of wooded hills located in the east of Champagne plain, in the south of the Ardennes and at the edge of Lorraine.

The Tilery

Clay that is present in its substratum has been mined under the Roman Invasion. Since the 17th century, its presence permitted the development of numerous tileries, brickyards, and earthenware factories.
Those factories produced round tiles called “roman tiles” or “stems of boot” that cover traditional houses.
The Argonne Land is one of the rarest area in the North of France where you can see this type of roof.

La Neuve Tuilerie (“New Tilery”) is a place name isolated from the village of Rarécourt at the foot of the Argonne massif, on the border of the forest. The property groups a head house, a little farm and two imposing barns.

The Building

The head house has been built during the second part of the 19th century. It has been used as a hunting lodge and has even hosted the Duke of Luxemburg.
All chimneys are decorated with an M that is the first letter of the surname of Magisson, last owners. The past of the domain is tided to their history. Typical name of local origins, the family is ennobled during the Napoleon Empire. In the area, the existence of a Louis Magisson architect during the 19th century is known. Was he the designer of the house?  

The main building is made of cut stone that is pretty unusual in our area. In fact, local stone called “gaize”, a siliceous sandstone that crumbled under frost is not suitable for this type of building. The material that has been used here comes from the quarry of Euville near Commercy. This stone were used for the edification of numerous monuments of Paris such as the Louvre, the Grand and the Petit Palais, the Opera, East Station or Alexander the 3d’s bridge.

The architecture

The architecture of the head house consists in a set of symmetry almost typical from the neoclassical era of the 19th century. The well structured front with an uncluttered decor contrasts with the rich ornaments of the roof. Lions that lay on edges of the roof are a mystery. Neither the reason of their presence nor their right origin are known.

The little brick house placed on the side has been added because, according of some elders of the village, the architect did not planed a place for kitchen and servants.

This beautiful mansion-house fell apart when three members of a same family, heritage lovers, bought it in 2003. At high cost and effort, the roof of the little manor and its front has been renovated. Running water has been brought from the village and telephone lines have been transported. An efficient heating has been installed. The inside damaged by leaks has been lagged and done up. The house is occupied on two thirds of its surface, the last third has been transformed into bed and breakfast.