About French Azilum

Located on a horseshoe bend in the Susquehanna River near present-day Wysox, Pennsylvania, the historic site now known as “Azilum” or “French Azilum” provided refuge for a group of French exiles in the autumn of 1793 and spring of 1794. The French refugees, mostly nobility and gentry, even believed that it might be possible for the Queen of France, Marie Antoinette, and her two children to come to Azilum if they got out of France alive. While these claims remain unsubstantiated, Azilum did host many refugees, loyal to King Louis XVI, some who left France to escape the horrors of the Revolution and others who fled the colony of Santo Domingo (Haiti) to escape the slave uprising there.

The duration of the sophisticated French town in the wilderness was brief. Economic factors led to the settlement’s decline. By the late 1790’s many of the French had moved to southern cities or returned to Santo Domingo. In 1803 Napoleon made it possible for the exiles to return to France. A few families remained, including the LaPortes, after whom the largest domicile still standing on the site today is named. These families and their descendants helped to settle nearby communities. 

Today, the historic site contains over twenty acres that were part of the original settlement. Although none of the almost 100 buildings from Azilum – including houses, a chapel, a theatre and several shops – remain, an original foundation has been left exposed for public viewing . A reconstructed and relocated log cabin, circa 1790, serves as a small museum with artifacts pertaining to the settlement and a video about the establishment of Azilum. Guided tours of the LaPorte house, the summer home of the son of one of the original settlers, are also available. Visitors can see several outbuildings, part of the de Siebert and LaPorte Farms, and outdoor exhibits as part of their self-guided tour of the site.