Cessation of activity vers 1870 (≈ 1870)
End of industrial production.
26 septembre 1990
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 26 septembre 1990 (≈ 1990)
Protecting iconic buildings.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Blast furnace; storage warehouses with their arches; façades and roofs of the coal hall, the foreman's house, the workers' housing, two auxiliary workshops, two agricultural buildings (see G2 288, 292, 294, 298, 300): registration by order of 26 September 1990
Key figures
Jules Roussel - Owner and sponsor
Purchaser and reconstructor of the site in 1856.
Thomas Ruel - General farmer and rebuilder
Responsible for 1687-1689.
Origin and history
The large forge of Saint-Denis-sur-Sarthon is a former industrial building located in the Orne department in Normandy. This site, dated from the 3rd quarter of the 19th century, is distinguished by its circular blast furnace in shale, an architectural peculiarity without equivalent known in the West of France. It was rebuilt in 1856 by Jules Roussel, owner of the forge d'Orthe (Mayenne), after its acquisition in 1854. This furnace succeeded several generations of metallurgical installations, the first of which dates back to the 1530s.
The site was dedicated to the production of cast iron and bearings for the rails of the Alençon railway, using ore extracted locally at La Ferriere Bochard. At its peak, around 1858, he employed about fifty workers. The iron produced was mainly intended for agricultural use and nailers in neighbouring villages such as Chahains, Tinchebray and Chanu. The activity ceased around 1870, ending a long local metallurgical tradition.
The refinery, attested as early as 1611, underwent several phases of reconstruction, notably between 1687 and 1689 by Thomas Ruel, farmer general of the baronie de La Roche-Mabile. In 1789, the plant was coupled with the Battle blast furnace, strengthening its regional economic role. The site was partially listed as historical monuments on 26 September 1990, thus preserving key elements such as the blast furnace, warehouses, the coal hall and workers' housing.
Today, the big forge bears witness to the importance of metallurgy in the industrial development of Normandy in the 19th century. Its architecture and history reflect the technical and economic developments of the time, as well as the role of local sponsors such as Jules Roussel. The accuracy of its location is considered very satisfactory, and the site remains a remarkable example of the French industrial heritage.
