The village of Le Mesnil-Théribus is located in the south west of the Department of the Oise, an hour from Paris, straddling the Vexin and the Thelle plateau. It is crossed by the Ru du Mesnil stream which originates in the heart of the village. Its steep and very wooded landscape seduced Mary Cassatt who decided in 1896 to acquire the Château de Beaufresne as a country home.

The village expanded in the 19th century thanks to the establishment of a mother-of-pearl button factory. The working-class architecture of the red brick houses and private gardens bears witness to this heritage. The houses were built in conformity with the movement to improve the sanitary conditions of workers, which was fashionable at the time. The entrance to the factory was at #6 Rue du Mesnil.

The Saint-Léger church dates, in its current form, from 1777. But the presence of a bell dated 1759 suggests that an older construction was replaced by the current building. (more information, on the Mesnil Théribus website : HERE).

Le Mesnil-Théribus is unusual in that it benefits from the presence of two châteaux. One, Le Château de Théribus, dates from the beginning of the 17th century and belonged to the Mornay family. It is listed in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments. Le Château de Beaufresne, on the other side of the village, is later. It was built in the 18th century. (more information HERE)