Sentiers du Patrimoine ®
Montalet-le-Bois
Poursuivre jusqu’à la mairie.
Prochain point : Lat. 49.047282, Long. 1.826824
Located in the centre of Montalet-le-Bois, the present town hall used to be a watermill powered by a millrace from the Bernon, likely constructed specifically for this purpose. The existence of the mill is documented on historic maps: both the Napoleonic cadastre of 1824 and the intendance plan of 1782 confirm that it has stood for more than two centuries. The mill produced flour, particularly in the mid-19th century when it was owned by a miller named Denis François Laurent. It is very likely that flour production ceased at the end of the 19th or the beginning of the 20th century.
Following the end of its milling activity, the building was converted for industrial use. In 1899, the village schoolmaster noted in his monograph the existence of a factory producing mill wheels in Montalet—possibly operating within this very building. The waterwheel also generated electricity, especially during the Second World War. However, the building was eventually abandoned and fell into disrepair at the end of the 20th century, until it was purchased by the commune in the 1980s to accommodate the town hall. The original wheel, which was in poor condition, was removed and replaced with the present metal wheel. While no longer functional, it serves as a reminder of the building’s past.
