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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Ruaux forge, also known as Forgette, is a former industrial site located in Plombières-les-Bains, Vosges, in the Grand Est region. Mentioned for the first time in 1628, it is the oldest forge in the Semouse valley after that of the White Murger (1547). This site, specialized in the manufacture of trolley wheels, reflects the importance of metallurgy in this region called the "Forges Valley".

In 1754, the forge was acquired by Denis Vineyard. In 1841 Arthur de Buyer obtained permission to build two refineries and a wiretap, thus modernizing the factory. The activity ceased in 1880, leaving room for today's ruined buildings, including the coal hall, which was declared a historic monument in 1991 for its remarkable architecture.

The site, located on the edge of the Semouse, includes workshops, worker housing and a stable, rebuilt in the 19th century. The coal hall, built around 1850, is distinguished by its sandstone lava roof, now collapsed. The nearby Allongis forge and the remains of the other forges in the valley testify to the intense metallurgical activity that marked this region from the sixteenth to the twentieth century.

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