Forge de Verrières

English translation

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History

The forge of Verrières, created around 1595, was entirely rebuilt in 1661 for the Duke of Mortemart, in the valley of the Dive where a 20-hectare pond was created. Property of the Dukes of Mortemart until the Revolution, the forge was leased to Robert de Beauchamps, master iron-workers of father and son, who became its owners at the sale as national property. In 1798 there existed, near the castle of the master iron-worker built between 1764 and 1768, a forge workshop composed of three hearths, two refineries and a heating house, a blast furnace, two charcoal stores, a limestone store, a barn, an iron warehouse, dwellings and other dependencies. The iron and cast iron manufactured were sold in the region. The enterprise ceased all activity in 1886, and the buildings were either demolished or transformed to accommodate a distillery. In 1901 a hydroelectric power station was built supplying the communes of Lhommaizé and Verrières. The distillery ceased operations in 1910 and the buildings became agricultural dependencies. The ensemble constituted by the master iron-worker's dwelling and the remains of the industrial site presents considerable archaeological and historical interest; this metalworking enterprise played a role of primary importance in the industrial activity of Poitou.