The
Hôtel de Ville was built as a private residence in 1730. On May 31, 1875, part of the territory of Chatou was detached and merged with a part of the territory of
Le Pecq and a part of the territory of
Croissy-sur-Seine to create the commune of
Le Vésinet. It boasts many bourgeois mansions of every kind of architecture and owned by private individuals. Chatou is the host of the
Maison Fournaise, a meeting place for
Impressionist painters in the past. It was a place where
Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted numerous pieces (portraits of the Fournaise family, surrounding landscapes etc.), most notably the
Déjeuner des canotiers (Luncheon of the Boating Party) in 1881. The painting is today part of
the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. On August 25, 1944, in Chatou, the
nazis shot 27 people, civilians and members of the
French Resistance. This event is today known as the "Massacre des 27 Martyrs". Chatou is also the host of the
MACS MTO. ==Population==