Seeking Azilum
I love discovering hidden gems of history, and the town of Azilum is a perfect example. I don’t recall how I heard of this place, but it preserves the fascinating history of a group of French aristocrats who escaped the guillotine and found refuge in the wilds of Pennsylvania. (And there is even a Lafayette connection!)
Fleeing the Guillotine
Queen Marie Antoinette's execution on October 16, 1793
During France’s Reign of Terror, about 150,000 French citizens, many of them aristocrats, fled the country, fearing for their lives. The choice to leave was not an easy one for those who escaped were branded as traitors, forfeited all their property, and were banished from France forever. Anyone who dared to return would face the death penalty. In many sad cases, men left their families, never dreaming their wives and even their children would be executed.
In 1973, a number of these French refugees made their way to Pennsylvania where they established a town they called French Azilum.
The Lafayette Connection
Illustration from The Story of Some French Refugees and Their Azilum 1793-1800 by Louise Wells Murray
When the desperate French contemplated their escape, America was an attractive option. Lafayette had helped to forge a bond of friendship between the two countries, and French refugees were welcomed with open arms. Lafayette also retained influential American friends who helped to finance the Azilum venture and may have also facilitated the refugees’ escape from France.
One of the founders of Azilum was Lafayette’s brother-in-law, the Vicomte de Noailles, who had fought with considerable distinction during the American Revolution. The Vicomte arranged the purchase of 2,400 acres of land on a horseshoe bend in the Susquehanna River, seventy-fives miles north of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and dozens of French refugees established a community there. No one knows why they chose such a remote location—maybe it was simply a place where they could finally feel safe, far from the blade of the guillotine.
Life in Azilum
It’s hard to imagine a group of pampered French aristocrats facing a primitive life in the wilderness; however, they continued to follow French customs as much as possible. The wealthiest among them wore fancy clothes and attended elaborate dinner parties where wine and whiskey were amply available. They even organized outdoor fetes that may have been the first picnics ever held in America.
The log cabins they built were nothing like their former Parisian mansions, but their Yankee neighbors were amazed by the extravagant staircases, window glass, and wallpaper. Not to mention, the summer houses constructed to help the French bear the unaccustomed heat. The refugees attempted to retain a life of culture as well, and as soon as the necessary structures were completed, they built a theater.
The locals must have found the new residents comical and referred to the town as “Versailles on the Susquehanna.” However, the French also made significant transportation improvements, including a wharf for loading boats and a ferry to provide access to the Sullivan Trail. One of their greatest contributions was improving the roads in the area, and they were said to have spent $3000 on road improvements in the first year alone.
A Mansion for Marie Antoinette
La Grande Maison
Illustration from The Story of Some French Refugees and Their Azilum 1793-1800 by Louise Wells Murray
The most impressive building in Azilum was known as La Grande Maison. At eighty-four feet long and sixty feet wide, it may have been the largest log cabin ever constructed in America. It is commonly believed the purpose of the mansion, and in fact, the reason for the town’s existence was to create a refuge for Queen Marie Antoinette and her two children.
Perhaps, one of the reasons the refugees were so intent on retaining their French style and customs was a desire to create a home fit for a queen. Sadly, with poor communications available from France, the Azilum residents were unaware that Marie Antoinette had faced the guillotine long before the grand home they built for her was even completed.
Amnesty
Remains of a wine cellar and the reconstructed museum cabin at the French Azilum Historic Site
In 1802, Napoleon granted all French emigres amnesty, allowing them to safely return to France. When the residents of Azilum received the news, they threw their hats in the air and shouted “Vive la France.”
Most set sail for France as quickly as they could, but their experiences were not forgotten. Their time in America had taught the returning aristocrats a new respect for individuals at the lower levels of society, and their egalitarian views significantly influenced French culture.
Azilum Today
The LaPorte House, built in 1836 by the son of an original Azilum resident
Today, the French Azilum Historic Site is located on twenty-two acres of the original 2400-acre settlement. Unfortunately, none of the original structures have survived, and only the walls of an original wine cellar (so French) remain. A reconstructed and relocated log cabin (circa 1790) houses a small museum with artifacts and a video about the establishment of the town.
Guided tours of the 1836 LaPorte House are informative and entertaining. The house was built by John LaPorte, the son of an original Azilum resident. Born in La Grande Maison, John became a respected leader, serving in both the Pennsylvania State Senate and the U.S. Congress.
Azilum was unlike any other American town, and it remains a reminder of the first time the United States became entangled in the domestic dispute of another nation. By welcoming these desperate French citizens, the country established a precedent for accepting refugees fleeing from political, economic, and social strife.
For More Information
Access the website for the Azilum Historic Site here: French Azylum
References
Murray, Louise Welles. The Story of Some French Refugees and Their Azilum 1793-1800. Tioga Point Historical Society. 1903
Nobles in the Wilderness: The Story of French Azilum by Nicholas Mattise
Asylum “A Paris in the Wilderness” by Rebecca Geoffroy
