Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Boulenger house and factory, founded in 1848 in Auneuil by the brothers Aimé and Achille Boulenger, was a major actor in architectural ceramics in the 19th century. Specializing in inlaid tiles with iconic colours (yellow ochre, red "beef blood", black), she competed with Beauvais's productions. The buildings, covered with ceramics, served as an advertising display for the company.

In 1885, the employer's house was transformed into a museum to exhibit the collections of the factory, left to the commune in 1900. The site, which includes a shipping store, workshops and an industrial fireplace, was classified as a historic monument in 1991. Production ceased in 1982, but the museum (closed to the public) and some workshops, such as that of a Japanese potter, today perpetuate its legacy.

The Boulenger factory underwent several technical developments, including the installation of Hoffmann ovens (1908, 1924) and electrification in 1937. Awarded at universal exhibitions between 1855 and 1889, she employed up to 100 workers in the 1940s. Its architecture, combining neo-classicism (employer house) and industrial functionality (bricks, tiles), reflects the golden age of ceramics in the country of Bray.

The site, served by a railway line, also includes workers' towns and a water tower. After the closure in 1982, the collections were transferred to the MUDO-Museum of the Oise. Today, the villa (façades decorated with award-winning ceramics) and the shipping store, always equipped with an oven, testify to this industrial epic.

The Boulenger brothers innovated with patents, like a steam machine in 1879. Their architectural heritage, visible in the facades of the museum and classified buildings, remains a unique example of the ceramic industrial heritage in France. The site, a mixed property (municipal and private), is partially accessible, although the museum is not open to the public.

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