Hélène de Montgeroult bought this property, previously owned by Mr. Villetard, in 1807 or 1808, for 6,000 francs. A nature-lover, she wrote of it in lyrical terms: “In the evening I took a moonlight stroll in my garden and thought of my love, the delights of loving, and the happiness of living in a beautiful spot with the person one loves.” At this time “La Solitude” was “a little house”, a simple “cottage”. Montgeroult’s neighbors were Mme. De Brainville, Pierre-Louis Ginguéné and Mlle. Rhin. Later the house was enlarged, and the Goncourt brothers lived there.
