Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The La Tour-sur-Orb lime oven, located in the Hérault department, was built in 1854 on a site where lime ovens already existed, as evidenced by the Napoleonic cadastre of 1826. Its exact origin remains unknown, but it played a key role in the production of hydraulic lime for the works of art of the railway line Graissessac-Béziers between 1854 and 1858, notably for the viaduct of Bédarieux and that of La Tour-sur-Orb.

The factory was operated until 1927 by various owners, including the Société Générale pour le Heating and Lighting by Gas (ancestor of Gdf-Suez) between 1905 and 1920. During this period, the lime produced would have been used in the manufacture of acetylene for urban lighting, as in the lime oven from Fasse-Bonne to Bédarieux. In 1927, the plant was sold to an individual with a clause prohibiting its use as a lime oven for fifty years.

The architecture of the site, composed of four furnaces, a blutery, a quarry connected by a tunnel and a stable, illustrates the evolution of lime production techniques. Its exceptional state of conservation and its representativeness of the second half of the 19th century motivated its inscription in the Historical Monuments on 17 March 2010. The site also includes remains of older furnaces, mentioned in 1826.

The La Tour lime (or Latour lime), produced from local limestone, was developed under the impulse of Mr. Genevière, engineer, when the railway was built in 1854. Its use has extended to tunnels, foothills and other infrastructure in the region, marking its importance in local industrialization.

External links