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In 1928 the American Legion Building at 49 rue Pierre Charron, Paris 75008 France – known since known as Pershing Hall – was purchased by the Legionnaires of Paris Post 1, acting as The American Legion Building Corporation, Inc., to serve as a monument and memorial to the World War I American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) commanded by General John J. Pershing.
When the project experienced financial difficulties in 1936, the U.S. Government took over the property as a permanent U.S. Memorial – under the trusteeship of the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) -- and, as stipulated in the property deed, assumed responsibility for its management and maintenance.
The building was the headquarters of the American Legion inaugural unit Paris Post 1; Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 605; and various French-American associations until all were evicted in 1993 and management was turned over to a realtor under the trusteeship of the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). Historic artwork, furnishings, and documents were inventoried by the U.S. government, removed from the building, and sent to various locations for storage. After being abandoned at French national museums for almost three decades, a small portion of this rich heritage has recently been found.
Due to lack of oversight by the DVAIn addition, memorials and plaques required to stay in Pershing Hall per the 99-year property lease have not been there for years. In additionAlso, during renovations in 2019, the historic Château Thierry stone and a time-capsule containing other historic documents and artifacts commemorating the inauguration of the building were extracted by the American Battlefield Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) and are now in its custody.
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