Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The old stationery of Villette, located in Corvol-l'Orgueilleux, was built during the 1st quarter of the 19th century, under the Restoration. They are a key step in the industrialisation of paper production, replacing traditional craft methods with mechanised processes. The factory is distinguished by its hemicycle building organised around a central courtyard, housing workshops and shops, while two square pavilions at the ends housed the offices and the steam machine.

Gilbert Thomas-Varenne, who in 1818 obtained permission to install a mechanical stationery on the site of an old forge, was the author of the initiative. This modernization introduced the continuous manufacturing of paper, abandoning rag pulp to industrial techniques. The house of the director, typical of the bourgeois mansions of the nineteenth century, completes the whole, reflecting the hierarchical organization of the industrial sites of the period.

The stationery architecture, combining functionality and symbolism (offices in the north, steam machine in the south), testifies to the technological and social innovations of the industrial revolution. The site, now privately owned, retains an approximate location at 244 La Papeterie, recalling its historical role in regional economic development.

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