Urban exploration - The Angicourt sanatorium

This documentary recounts historical fragments of the Villemin Sanatorium located in Angicourt, in the Oise department of France. Numerous pages exist on this subject; therefore, without claiming great originality, we offer only our own personal contribution.

We shall pass over in silence the various ridiculous names this establishment has received from the urbex world, including that of "Nestor Pirotte" (a criminal with absolutely no connection to the site). It should be noted that Google references 7,000 occurrences of idiots using this name without asking a single question—with the exception of urbexsession, who names their pages as such and initiated the trend as an artistic process. We will mention, however, that due to its many historical layers of operation, this vast sanatorium is known as: the Angicourt Sanatorium, the Villemin Sanatorium, the Liancourt Sanatorium, the Villemin Hospital, and the Villemin-Doumer Hospital. Note that the site has absolutely no connection to the Villemin Sanatorium (also called Villemin Hospital) in Nancy! I can only laugh at the comments I receive saying: "respect urbex and don't name the location." There are ten thousand direct references on the internet, and the site has been completely trashed by visitors despite the regular presence of guards. To the "urbex-types": how about you stop writing to me?

The creation of the site dates back to a period between 1898 and 1924. The beginning of the 20th century saw an evolving awareness regarding the contagiousness of tuberculosis. Until then, patients were mixed in hospitals, which inevitably caused serial infections (as we know today, tuberculosis is highly contagious).

A first building named "Maurice Letulle" was erected in 1898 and inaugurated in 1899 on former grazing land. This was an early development in the rise of various sanatoriums—to such an extent, in fact, that it was the first hospital of its kind established in France. The land was donated to the Assistance Publique de Paris, which subsequently allowed for the construction of the first vast block, "Pavilion A." Like many sanatoriums, the goal was a "sun cure." This explains the building's southeast orientation. It should be noted that at the time, the area was certainly not as wooded as it is today. Furthermore, the terrain was advantageously chosen: situated on a hill, the elevated site receives particularly strong light.

In 1924, construction began on the second pavilion following a highly similar plan, although the buildings are not identical. Construction ended in 1928, and the building was inaugurated as "Pavilion B." However, this functional notation was almost immediately abolished. Building A was named Jean-Antoine Villemin (or simply the Villemin Pavilion), after the physician who first demonstrated the contagiousness of tuberculosis. Pavilion B was named the Varenne Pavilion. The architectural similarity is due to the fact that they simply reused the initial 1900 plans of the architect Henri Belouet.

During the First World War, the sanatorium underwent a long period of transformation. The site was requisitioned due to the armed conflict and became a war hospital.

Starting in 1914, 200 wounded arrived at the site in a state of total emergency. Tuberculosis patients were evacuated in haste under extremely difficult conditions. Wounded soldiers were received in an establishment that de facto lacked everything, even the most basic necessities. The sanatorium staff, also requisitioned, found themselves in deep distress; notably, the lead physician was forced to act as a surgeon, which he was not. The situation worsened throughout 1914, which is unsurprising given the dramatic historical context: the Germans were at the gates of Paris and the Battle of the Marne was raging. Throughout the war, the establishment was besieged by requests and overwhelmed, particularly during the Second Battle of the Somme in 1918, which was not far away (between Arras and La Fère). Temporary barracks and tents were set up in the woods.

While the history of this establishment was tumultuous during WWI, this was the case for many similar institutions. During this period, it was no longer referred to as the Angicourt Sanatorium, but as Temporary Hospital No. 104. One source mentions that due to the difficulties in performing surgery, the temporary hospital mostly received the sick and, in the end, faced very few surgical operations.

It was not until 1920 that the specialized function of the sanatorium was restored. The buildings had not suffered damage from combat—which was non-existent in Angicourt—but the hospital structure was profoundly disorganized. At this stage, the comfort levels, already high-end, were further improved.

Highly inspired by German architecture (noting similarities with the contemporary Beelitz-Heilstätten sanatorium built in 1898), the two main buildings were erected in a modest Rococo style. Similar to Dreux (which was built much later), glass canopies (marquises) were installed, allowing patients to benefit from maximum sunlight. The treatment rooms were located in the wings facing due south.

We have no archives regarding the occupation of the site during the Second World War.

In 1965, during the decline of sanatorium infrastructures, the site was converted into a gerontological hospital for highly dependent people. These are, in fact, the only historical traces remaining on-site, as everything truly related to the sanatorium has disappeared—except, of course, for the buildings themselves. The establishment fared relatively well, despite a steady decline. In 1985, for operational optimization, it merged with two other hospitals to become the Villemin-Paul Doumer Hospital Group. The Paul Doumer Hospital is located in Labruyère, a small commune 10 kilometers from Angicourt. The "Labruyère Sanatorium," as it was called then, opened in 1932. Today, the Paul Doumer Hospital still belongs to the Assistance Publique and specializes in gerontology, though it faces a difficult financial situation.

The decline of Angicourt accelerated, reaching a critical point in 1998. The decision was made to close the site. At the end of 1999, patients were transferred to Labruyère. The site was officially closed on January 1, 2000. Subsequently, the vast plot became the property of the town hall and currently remains without a designated use.