Square Jean Morin

Square Jean Morin sits exactly where a heavily guarded checkpoint once controlled the flow of goods into the capital. This small public garden occupies the site of the former Barrière de Charenton, a major gate that was part of the Wall of the Fermiers Généraux. This massive tax wall circled Paris in the late eighteenth century, and officials stationed at this specific gate collected duties on everything from wine to firewood brought into the city.