DOMAINE LE HAUT VERGER, A BRIEF HISTORY

When we moved into the house, we found a small archive that gives a bit of an idea of how Le Haut Verger originated.

Le Haut Verger – The High Orchard – is a so-called lieu-dit, a hamlet belonging to the municipality of Gargilesse-Dampierre. Presumably there used to be a few other houses there before our house was built.

From 1919 plots were purchased here by Monsieur Lefèvre, an engineer from Paris, who wanted to build a villa on this spot, where you have a fantastic view of the Creuse valley.

The design of the house with gardener’s house is by Louis-Hippolyte Boileau, an architect from Paris. The house was designed in the traditional style of the Berry with – especially for that time – modern, monumental aspects. It reminds us of the work of Berlage.

In 1924 Monsieur Hélin, a pharmaceutical from Châteauroux, became the owner of Le Haut Verger. He makes a number of improvements, and in the house archive there are all kinds of drawings for plans to decorate the house, of which a number have been carried out. One of his co-workers, Jacques Lafarge, not only marries Hélins daughter, but also runs the laboratory after his death and becomes, together with his wife, the owner of Le Haut Verger. The Lafarge family owned the house for a long time, and used it as a holiday home and for permanent residence. Especially the descendants of monsieur and madame Lafarge-Hélin were colorful and famous inhabitants of Gargilesse.

Around the turn of the century, the house was sold by the last Lafarge heirs to Mr. and Mrs. de Bueger, a Dutch painter and his wife, a professional translator. They started a chambres d’hôtes here next to their daily work.

In 2015, for health reasons, they were forced to sell Le Haut Verger after having rented the house for a number of years.

And we had the privilege of becoming the owners of this beautiful, characterful domaine.