Lempdes Town Hall - Former home of Pierre Boulanger

The town hall of Lempdes is also the former residence of Pierre Boulanger, inventor of the famous Citroën 2 CV.
This manor house was built in 1672 by Charles Poisson, Treasurer of France. The coat-of-arms above the door, sadly hammered, bears the Poisson family arms. Of modest dimensions, the house is built along the lines of mansions adjoining a park. The steeply sloping roof, with flat tiles and large chimneys, is somewhat unusual in the region and suggests a northern influence. Inside, a beautiful Volvic stone staircase leads to the various levels. The wedding room, the former kitchen, retains a large Volvic stone fireplace with its bread oven. The dining room, now an office, boasts an 18th century rockery décor, with a marble fireplace topped by an overmantel depicting a still life.

In 1786, it became the property of Antoine Sablon, former mayor of Clermont (1791-1792 and 1800-1805), then in 1833 of the Rougane de Chanteloup family. Martial Rougane’s grandson, mayor of Lempdes, sold it in 1926 to Pierre Boulanger (1885-1950), co-manager of Michelin, director of Citroën and inventor of the famous Citroën 2 CV. This car, sold from 1949, originally had to be able to “carry two farmers, fifty kilos of potatoes or a barrel, at a speed of 60 km/hr with consumption of 3 litres per 100 km.” In 1977 the house became the property of the city and the present-day city hall.