Octroi de Neuilly

You are looking at a small brick structure that once served as a gatekeeper for the city's economy. In the nineteenth century, Neuilly-sur-Seine operated a system of octroi taxes, which were local duties charged on goods like meat, alcohol, and coal as they entered the municipal borders. Agents stationed in these specific booths scrutinized incoming shipments to ensure that every merchant paid their required share to the town. This particular building at the edge of the city replaced an older wooden cabin in nineteen hundred and nine to provide more permanent, civilized facilities for the tax collectors. The architect Léopold Girauld designed the new office with amenities that were quite progressive for its function, including an integrated sewer system, a dedicated water point, and a secure storage area for the employees' bicycles. Even though the octroi tax system was eventually abolished in nineteen thirty-nine, this building escaped the demolition that claimed the city's other similar stations. It stands today as a rare physical reminder of the time when borders between neighboring towns were strictly enforced to control the flow of trade and generate local revenue.