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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

La Ferme de la Cornillère, located in Crulai, Normandy, is a model farm built in 1859 by architect Bourgeois for Jacques Paul Bourget. Its spatial organization reflects a rational design, with an open courtyard surrounded by a central house, a sheepfold and a stake stable. This plan, characteristic of the Ouche country, optimizes agricultural workflows while integrating dedicated buildings: barn, press, barn, cellar and shed. A henhouse is attached to the southern gable, while an independent pighouse, with its yard and its filth, is separated from the farm by a pond and a washhouse.

The farm was enriched after 1863 by an additional building housing a bread oven, a kitchen and a butter shop, thus complementing its role as an autonomous agricultural complex. The ensemble, registered with the Historical Monuments in 2006, illustrates the evolution of Norman farms in the 19th century, marking the transition to a more organized and productive agriculture. The facades and roofs of the original buildings (excluding recent hangar) are protected, highlighting the heritage value of this achievement.

The layout of the spaces — houses, livestock buildings, processing areas — reveals a functional hierarchy designed to facilitate daily tasks. The presence of a washhouse and a pond also shows the importance of water in the domestic and agricultural organisation. This model, both practical and aesthetic, embodies the efficiency ideals advocated by modern agriculture of the time.

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