The Dreux sanatorium , built between 1928 and 1932 under the impetus of Mayor Maurice Viollette , was used for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. At its peak in the 1930s, it could accommodate up to 1,000 patients , mainly children, treated by solarium.
During World War II , director Gabriel Roche saved Jews by providing them with false medical certificates. After the war, the site gradually became obsolete with the evolution of medicine. It was used as a retirement home and then as a medical-educational institute until 1980 , before housing patients with rare diseases until its closure in 1990 .
Purchased by the City of Dreux in 1999 , the site became dangerous and several accidents occurred, including a fatal one in 2016 , leading to reinforced safety measures. In 2021 , the site was completely fenced off, and the first building was converted into the Bas Buissons Maternal Center .
