The house of Ourscamp (also known as the Bear House) was rebuilt at the end of the 16th century, probably around 1585, on a piece of land donated in 1248 by the Cistercian monks of the Ourscamp Abbey, located near Noyon. The primitive Cistercian house is their stone town house, with a storeroom of about 200 m², a hall with pillars on the ground floor and several floors. It is occupied by the monks who store the harvests produced at the abbey for resale on Parisian markets.
The present house, built around 1585, consists of a main body with a façade marked by stone chains, pierced by large mullioned windows and smaller openings. At the rear, two small wings in return shelter the staircases with crawling balusters, framing a small courtyard with wooden sides embellished with two private corbelled. It has two floors and a two-storey attic under a very heavy French roof. The two dormers that open the first attic level have pediments carved in the 16th century style.
At the time of the Revolution, the abbey was expropriated, the house was sold and small shops followed one another. The house underwent many transformations and additions during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
During the first half of the 20th century, the building continued to deteriorate and the house was integrated into the unsanitary islet 16, identified at the beginning of the 20th century and destined for demolition. In October 1961, the threat became clear. Historic Paris, recently created, took a position against this measure and proposed to set up its headquarters there. A few months later the battle was won, the city reversed its decision to destroy Block 16 and accepted the restoration of the old houses. The house of Ourscamp, considered in too bad condition, is left to the association which agrees to take over its restoration.