1874: a fire destroyed the school and town hall of La Fajolle

December 22 and 23, 1874: fire at the school and town hall.

Letter from the deputy mayor addressed to the prefect: On the night of December 22 to 23 (1874) a fire completely devoured the school house as well as the archives of the commune, the civil status registers, the cadastral documents and finally all titles and documents filed in the house. Since then the absence of these documents has been a subject of ruin for all those who need to resort to them, particularly with regard to civil status, it is necessary to resort to the Limoux court registry or to the filing of the land register in Carcassonne. The commune, Mr. Prefect, cannot remain in this state of destitution. On the other hand, La Fajolle is devoid of any kind of resources to cover the expense of reconstructing civil status and cadastral documents. The extraordinary taxes bring in nothing or almost nothing, since the land income is only seven hundred and seventy-seven francs and seventy centimes. A ruinous trial has lasted for two years between La Fajolle and Montaillou (Ariège). It is in this extremity that the expense to reconstitute the civil status of sixty years (according to research, the civil status dates from at least 1763) would amount to approximately twelve hundred francs and the cadastral documents to approximately four hundred francs for a population of approximately three hundred and seventy inhabitants. This is why and given the impossibility of meeting this expense, the urgency and necessity of which are incontestable, the undersigned come to ask you, Mr. Prefect, to submit the situation of La Fajolle, one of the poorest municipalities in the France to the general council of Aude so that we would kindly grant him assistance proportionate to his destitution and the importance of reconstituting the lost pieces at this April session. The undersigned are honored with deep respect and gratitude. Deputy Canet – Authie – Caux – Canet – Vergé.