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The square in front of the church of Evaux-les-Bains carries the name and the bust sculpture of Armand Fourot, who largely contributed to the rise of thermalism in the city in the 19th century First, he was mayor of the town, then general counsellor and finally MP of the Creuse region. He was also behind the Paris-Ussel railway line initiative, which served Evaux thanks to the construction of the Tardes Viaduct.
From 1831, the formation of a bathing club or "Société des Bains", the construction of a part of the modern-day spa facilities, and then of the Grand Hotel a few years later, brought new economic activity to Evaux.
It was later on in history from 1885, with the inauguration of the railroad and the station, that the spa therapy of Evaux enjoyed its glory days with the arrival of the train and its coaches of travellers in search of treatment!
This mighty rise of thermalism naturally influenced the landscape and the architecture of the town. Multiple hotels were built to accommodate the flood of people taking to the waters: the Grand Hotel de la Fontaine is a perfect example.
From 1850 onwards, some of the spa's faithful following wanted a pied à terre of their own in Evaux. They had villas built in keeping with the aesthetic style of spa architecture, characterised in particular by the use of red and white bricks, sometimes using yellow too, in alternating geometric patterns. Little by little, these large multicoloured houses with large openings of various shapes began to appear in the once medieval town centre. Many feature balconies with wrought iron or cast iron railings in the Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles. Their front doors are protected by elegant awnings and their overhanging roofs supported by wooden brackets give them a charming finish.
