Wind turbine à La Postolle dans l'Yonne

Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

L'éolienne de La Postolle, located in the Yonne department in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, is a Bollée wind turbine built in 1898 by hydraulic engineer Auguste Bollée. It was built to meet the village's drinking water needs, particularly to feed the communal wash. Its installation was financed by a municipal loan of 12,447 francs, repayable over 30 years, with extraordinary taxation for the inhabitants.

The wind turbine, consisting of a 14-metre iron mast supported by six bays and a 2.6-metre diameter aeromotor, operated until 1965. On that date, a pumping station made it obsolete. In the absence of an interview, she quickly degraded, leading the municipal council to vote for her destruction in 1973. However, thanks to the action of Helen Kaldonski, a native artist from the village, the wind turbine was saved and restored.

In 1975, Hélène Kaldonski founded AREL (Association for the Restoration of La Postolle Wind Energy), raising 20,000 francs for its rehabilitation. The wind turbine was listed at the Historic Monuments on August 3, 1976. In 1992, further restoration work was undertaken totalling 90,000 francs. Today, it belongs to the municipality and remains a symbol of local industrial heritage.

The pumping column, made of brick, is located at the foot of the mast. The ensemble is located in Courroy, northeast of the Yonne department. The Bollée de La Postolle wind turbine illustrates the technical ingenuity of the 19th century to meet the water needs of rural communities.

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