The priory was destroyed during World War I and rebuilt by the town in the early 1930s. The new exterior is in neo-Gothic style but the interior has the same features the priory had before its destruction.
In the Carolingian period the site was occupied by a castle keep. In the 10th century the Count of Montdidier lived in the stronghold. His wife had the church of Notre-Dame built nearby. King Philippe-Auguste made the Counts' castle his royal residence and restored the fortifications. In the 16th century it became the seat of the judiciary then, in 1800, the courtroom became that of the state prosecutor. Destroyed during the First World War, it was rebuilt around 1930 in Neo-Gothic style, while retaining the same interior plan. Only the foundations and Philippe-Auguste's adjoining tower have been preserved.