Heritage classified
The hall and the workers' houses, facades and roofs (cad. B 430 to 432, 741, 742, 788, 790, 791, 841, 858, 871, 873, 874, 879, 899, 906 to 910): registration by order of 4 June 2007 - In total, the following parts, as defined on the plan attached to the decree: the two bodies of workers housing which face the entrance, the orangery, the north gate; the arch building ( stables and shops); the base of the old blast furnace; the old steam engine building, the large workshop building to the east, the house of the foundry director, the pigeon-house; the house of the master of forge, its commons, its garden, its courtyard and its fences; the hydraulic network, largely buried, from the Font to the arch building and orangery; the soils of plots B 430 to 432, 742, 788, 790, 791, 841, 858, 871, 873, 874, 879, 906 to 910: classification by order of 5 December 2012
Key figures
| Claude-François Rochet - Forges master |
Reconstructs the site in the late 18th century. |
| Jean-Antoine Guyet - Bisontin architect |
Designs the symmetrical plan of the site. |
| Jean-François Rochet - Owner in the 18th century |
Develops iron and iron production. |
| Pierre Tiquet - Industrial 19th century |
Resuming the foundry after 1869. |
| Louis de Pourtalès - Swiss owner |
Acquire the site in 1833. |
Origin and history
The forge-fonderie of Baignes, located in the Haute-Saône in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, has its origins in the 16th century, but its major development takes place in the 18th and 19th centuries. Located near a resurgence and surrounded by forests and iron ore, it becomes a key industrial site under the impulse of Claude-François Rochet. The latter, master of forges, modernized the site at the end of the 18th century with the help of the bisontin architect Jean-Antoine Guyet, son of Jean-Pierre Guyet, collaborator of architects Antoine Colombot and Alexandre Bertrand. Rochet then organized a hemicycle square around the blast furnace, framed by buildings in quarter circle and a "new street" lined with workers' housing. The forge, which initially produced bombs, pellets and irons for the salines of Salins-les-Bains and Montmorot, experienced difficulties and ceased operations around 1820.
In the 19th century, the site tried to modernize with the installation of a steam engine in 1859, but the blast furnace closed permanently in 1869. The forge was then converted into a second smelter, producing stoves, stoves, and agricultural equipment under the TF brand until 1961. The remaining buildings, such as the employer housing, the coal hall, the remains of the blast furnace, and the dovecote, bear witness to this industrial history. The site, which has been protected as historical monuments since 1978, 2007 and 2012, was purchased by the Conseil départemental de la Haute-Saône. The departmental museums now retain objects related to its production, such as moulds, catalogues and metallurgical parts.
The history of the Baignes forge-foundry is marked by periods of prosperity and decline, reflecting the challenges of the French metallurgical industry. In the 18th century, under the direction of Claude-François Rochet, the site reached an annual production of 500 thousand cast iron and 150 thousand iron, employing 123 workers in 1789. However, the lack of wood and water caused the forge to stop around 1820. In the 19th century, despite attempts at modernization, such as the introduction of steam engines and cubicles, the foundry failed to maintain its activity and closed in 1961. The architectural remains, such as workers' housing, the quarter-circular shop, and the blast furnace substructures, illustrate the technological and social evolution of this iconic site.
The forges of Baignes were attested as early as 1549, originally operated by Jean and François Vatelin. In the 17th century, the establishment includes a blast furnace, a mill and a forge. Acquired by Gédéon Rochet in 1700, the site developed under the impetus of his family, notably with Jean-François Rochet, who became its owner in 1774. Production, oriented towards salt and armaments, declined in the early 19th century due to environmental constraints. In 1833, the site was rented to Joseph Gauthier, then taken over by Pierre Tiquet in 1841, who tried to revive production. Despite these efforts, the blast furnace was extinguished in 1869, marking the end of primary metallurgy on the site.
The second fusion foundry, established after 1869, specializes in the manufacture of stoves, stoves and household articles under the TF brand. During the First World War, it produced approximately 140,000 steel-melt shells. In the mid-war, the foundry diversified its production with enamelled appliances, but declined after World War II, closing permanently in 1963. The buildings, acquired by the General Council of Haute-Saône, are partially protected as historical monuments. Today, the site preserves remarkable architectural elements, such as the triangular dovecote, the coal hall, and the remains of the blast furnace, which bear witness to a major industrial heritage in Franche-Comté.
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