Maison Dupeyré

Maison Dupeyré stands as one of the few surviving late-18th-century bourgeois mansions in Mont-de-Marsan, the prefecture town of the Landes department in southwestern France. Tucked along rue Armand-Dulamon near the Hôtel Brettes, the building has held protected historic monument status since 2003.

What does the building look like?

Three storeys rise beneath a mansard roof pierced by a row of dormer windows lighting the attic space. At street level, four arched openings with cut-stone surrounds give the ground floor its distinctive rhythm, while decorative medallions carved with floral patterns sit just above, softening the otherwise imposing stone façade. Architectural historians rank it among the more richly decorated bourgeois townhouses in the city centre.

Who was behind the name Dupeyré?

The story starts in 1751, when Étienne Dupeyré, a judge based in Labrit, bought a decaying older house in Mont-de-Marsan known locally as the "Lafarge house." Over the following decades the family added to the plot: a neighbouring parcel was acquired in 1787 by Dupeyré's son. It was this son, Jean Dupeyré, who eventually combined the two plots and built the mansion that still stands today. Notably, part of the structure sits directly on the town's old defensive ramparts, which explains the slightly unusual footprint and the way the façade meets the street.

What happened to the house afterward?

Once the Dupeyré family's ownership ended, the property passed into the hands of church authorities. For a long stretch of its history it served organisations devoted to educating young people, well before it was ever granted heritage protection. The building now stands as a quiet reminder of the era when Mont-de-Marsan was consolidating its role as a regional administrative centre, and local notable families built substantial homes right in the town core.

Where does it sit within the town, and is it worth a detour?

The mansion is located in the historic heart of Mont-de-Marsan, within easy walking distance of other period townhouses, including the nearby Hôtel Brettes. It fits naturally into a short walking route through the old town — pausing across the street gives the best view of the ground-floor arches and the floral medallions above them.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside Maison Dupeyré? No — the building is privately owned and used as a residence, so the interior is not open to the public. Visits are limited to viewing the façade from the street.

Why is it called "Dupeyré"? The name comes from the family who built it. Étienne Dupeyré bought the original plot in 1751, and his son Jean completed the mansion after 1787, once two adjoining parcels of land had been joined together.

Is it an officially protected building? Yes. Maison Dupeyré was listed as a French historic monument by decree on 21 November 2003.

What are the most notable architectural details? Look for the four arched, stone-framed openings on the ground floor, the floral medallions set above them, and the mansard roof with its row of attic windows — together they make this one of the more ornate townhouses in Mont-de-Marsan.