A
Brief History of the Building
The
"Hotel Particulier" in which
the Embassy of Liberia in Paris has
been located for the last 56 years was
designed by the architect, Galand and
was built in 1879 by contractor Brochon
for Mr. Jacques Simeon Valentin, its
first owner, on land he had bought on
December 2, 1876.
The
"Hotel Particulier" comprised
two buildings with a total area of 651
square meters: the first building located
at number 12 of what was then Malesherbes
Square and which today, has been renamed
General Catroux, Square and the second
building constructed at 8 Jacques Bingen
Street in the Plaine Monceau neighbourhood.
The
Malesherbes Square building utilizes
cut stones from the Paris rock quarry
which was the perferred choice for building
constructed during the Haussmannian
period, at the end of the 19th Centruy.
It was then composed of two square floors,
and a panelled third floor which included
a billard 'game' room adjancent to a
gallery which had a glass ceiling. The
third floor also provided quarters for
the servants.
Jacques
Simeon Valentin, the original owner,
dies on October 4, 1881. His brother,
Roger Victor Valentin, inherits the
property then sells it on August 12,
1902 , to Mr. Frederic Simon, a manufacturer,
and a Chevalier of the French Legion
of Honour.
The
Latter cedes it to it's last French
owner, Mr Auervach in February 1913.
H.E.
J. Emery Knight was accredited as Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
the Republic of Liberia to France on
December 2, 1952 (106th year of Independence
of the Republic of Liberia) by the President
of Liberia W.V.S. Tubman.
