

The former town hall of Rethel, built in 1750, was destroyed on 1st September 1914 in the fire started by the invader on the night of 31st August 1914, as well as three quarters of the town and the archives of the town. The Town Council did not establish an order for the reconstruction of municipal buildings until 13th October 1922, priority being given to schools.
Among the 11 projects presented for the new Town Hall, Mr Boulenger’s one (an architect from Reims) was chosen. The building, in Louis XIIIth style, measures 40 meters by 14 and its height is 40 meters too. The materials used (white stone from Vierzy, red brick from Dizy and blue slate) bring out the colours of the national flag on its façade.
The building started in April 1925 and finished in November 1931. The official inauguration took place on 30th April 1933. The monumental staircase at the centre of the façade leads onto a wrought iron portal, the official entrance to the building. The main reception room is entirely covered by paintings of Eugène Thiéry from Rethel.
20th Century