The history of the area…

Following the First World War, 95% of the village of Fargniers was devastated.
Around the square are grouped
The following features can still be seen in the square :
In 1918, the mayor proposed a reconstruction project in the form of a concentric square, around which municipal buildings would be constructed.
In 1922, the Trustees of the Carnegie Endowment Trust ( an institution founded in 1910 by the American industrialist, Andrew Carnegie), awarded a Grant of $500, 000 for the reconstruction of the devastated areas
of France, Belgium and Serbia; it also made an award of $150, 000 for the reconstruction of the municipal buildings in Fargniers.
A plan of the square was drawn by architects Henri-Paul Nénot
and Paul Bigot (architect of the Grand Palais).
- the town hall
- a post office
- a police station
- a pump
- a hall
- an assembly hall
- The Carnegie foyer
- public baths
- schools
- green spaces and play areas
This area shows both regional and Anglo-Saxon influences.
The laying of the foundation stone took place in 1922 and the project was completed by 1928.
- The entire town hall
- the entire old town hall
- the facades and roofs of :
- the old post office
- the pump structure
- the nursery school
- the former girls' school and the former boys' school.
- the former kindergarten teachers' building
- former teachers' residence
- the Carnegie Foyer , the old dispensary
- the monument to Andrew Carnegie in the centre of the square
Etienne Dromas

A name closely linked to the museum is that of
Etienne Dromas, one of the first Resistants
"Forty years ago I made a vow to honour all my companions who died in clandestine battles, and to immortalise their actions. In 1964, following an exhibition in Chauny, on the Resistance, I noted the interest of the general public and in particular that of the children, in this period of the Second World War."
The idea was born.
In 1986, on the advice and with the participation of
Maurice Bruaux, Committee Chairman
of the Departmental Tourist Board,
the members of the Local Authority of Aisne
decided unanimously to establish a museum
to commemorate the suffering endured
by the inhabitants of the Region,
the suffering of those who were deported
and of those who fought in the Resistance.
Letter from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Letter from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
to Etienne Dromas
Excerpts from the book by Etienne Dromas.

Excerpts from the book by Etienne Dromas.
Here there are pages recounting the details of the crash of a Stirling bomber
on the night of April 16-17, 1943.
Up to the beginning of September 1944,
the lives of 87 allied airmen had been saved by the group
of Resistants organised by Etienne Dromas.