Foundation of the Abbey XIIe siècle (≈ 1250)
Initial monastic site before industrial conversion.
1791
Sale as a national good
Sale as a national good 1791 (≈ 1791)
Repurchase by forge masters.
XIXe siècle
Specialization in cast iron
Specialization in cast iron XIXe siècle (≈ 1865)
Transition to decorative production.
1985
Final closure
Final closure 1985 (≈ 1985)
End of industrial activity under the Salin family.
2009
End of agricultural activities
End of agricultural activities 2009 (≈ 2009)
Permanent cessation of the farm on site.
2013
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 2013 (≈ 2013)
Protection of buildings and hydraulics.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The following parts as shown on the plan annexed to the Order: the soil of plots F 170 and F 302 of the historic site of the former Abbey of Ecurey; façades and roofs of workers' houses and workers' gardens (A); All: foundry halls (B), model stores (C), fit and modeling workshop (D), turbine building (E) and chapel (F); facades and roofs of the shipping hall (G), storage store (H), concierge (I) and former casting hall (J); open and covered hydraulic installations: canals and bays (water and out-of-water) with masonries, bridges with cast iron railings and the vanning system (cad. F 163, 165, 166, 169, 170, 302, 304, 307, 309, 342 to 349, 361, 378, 379): registration by order of 27 September 2013
Key figures
Famille Salin - Latest foundry managers
Management until closure in 1985.
Origin and history
The Écurey foundries, located in the eponymous hamlet near Montiers-sur-Saulx (Meuse, Grand Est), occupy the location of an old abbey founded in the 12th century. In 1791, after the French Revolution, the monastery and its outbuildings were sold as national goods. Repurchased by forges masters, the premises were converted into cast iron and puddle iron production workshops, before specializing in cast iron art and decoration. This site illustrates a rural industrial activity, exploited by the proximity of an iron ore deposit (glauconia).
The architectural unit of the site combines the remains of the abbey with the industrial buildings, including foundry halls, model shops (conserving a rare collection of moulds), and hydraulic installations (channels, valves). Production declined from the 1970s to the final closure in 1985, under the direction of the Salin family. Ranked a historic monument in 2013, the site also includes workers' housing, a chapel, and workshops such as the fit-up.
Today, the site is valued with a museum space, training workshops (energy renewal), reception rooms, and a cottage. The guided tours recount the history of the place and the Barrois, while highlighting its industrial and agricultural heritage, the latter having ceased in 2009. The protected elements cover facades, roofs, hydraulic arrangements, and metallurgy related objects, reflecting this transition between monastic life and industrial revolution.
The industrial landscape of Écurey is distinguished by its rural integration and the preservation of a coherent set: renovated convenual buildings, machinery, and hydraulic infrastructures. The mussel collection, used to sink statues and iron objects, is a remarkable technical heritage. The site, a property shared between private actors and the community of communes, thus perpetuates the memory of a metallurgical activity emblematic of the Meuse.
