Foundation of spinning 1851 (≈ 1851)
Created by Édouard Gast with hybrid architecture.
1924
Site expansion
Site expansion 1924 (≈ 1924)
Extension of existing spinning.
10 octobre 2005
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 10 octobre 2005 (≈ 2005)
Registration of main buildings and workshop.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The neo-medieval office building on the façade, extended to the south by the corps de passage and the storage store, and the manufacturing workshop located at the back (see map annexed to the decree) (Box 10 65/1): inscription by order of 10 October 2005
Key figures
Édouard Gast - Founder and industrial
Sponsor of spinning in 1851.
Origin and history
Gast, located at 9 rue de Cernay in Issenheim (Haut-Rhin, Grand Est), is an architectural testimony of the mid-19th century. Founded in 1851 by Édouard Gast, it combines a neo-medieval facade in stone and brick with an innovative industrial interior: brick vaults supported by cast iron columns, illuminated by glass windows. This contrast between historical appearance and technical modernity reflects the industrial ambitions of the time.
The main building houses neo-Tudor-style offices, while the workshop, rectangular, uses a bold metal structure for the time. A cotton shop on two levels, joined to the east, completes the set. Enlarged in 1924, the site illustrates the evolution of Alsatian spinning, between architectural tradition and industrial revolution. The mill has been listed as a historical monument since 10 October 2005 for its façade building, body of passage, storage shop and workshop.
Owned by the municipality of Issenheim, the Gast mill embodies the 19th century Alsatian industrial heritage. Its hybrid architecture – combining medieval references and modern techniques – makes it a rare example of adapting old forms to the needs of textile production. The materials used, such as cast iron for columns or brick for vaults, underline this duality between heritage and innovation.
The location of Issenheim, in the Upper Rhine, places this monument in a regional context marked by strong textile activity in the 19th century. Gast spinning thus reflects the economic importance of the cotton industry in Alsace, while showing how the industrialists of the time integrated aesthetic elements to enhance their factories. Its designation as historic monuments in 2005 recognizes this historic value, both technical, architectural and social.
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