Timeline

Origin and history

The Maison de l'Ardoise is a museum inaugurated in 1997 in the buildings of the old slate of the Grande Fosse and its power plant, which fed the pits of extraction. The site exhibits models, tools, maps and industrial installations, such as the original large compressor or wooden horse riding that dominates an 185-metre well. This well, which was active until the 1930s, was abandoned after violent collapses. A transparent glass now makes it possible to observe a part of it, while the winch room illustrates the slate lift system.

The museum devotes a section to the daily life of slate trees, marked by the cult of Saint Barbe, protecting minors. Statues, procession tents and a model of a working-class house reconstruct their social and religious universe. The extraction, an economic pillar of Rimogne, is documented through visual archives (post cards, enlargements) and mining objects. The site, initially managed by the General Council, closed in 2009 before reopening in 2012 under the aegis of the Town Hall.

Rimogne Slate, industrially exploited from the 19th century, shaped the landscape and local identity. The museum, through its installation in the original infrastructure, offers an immersion in the technical and human conditions of this activity. The collapses of the 1930s, mentioned as a turning point, highlight the risks associated with underground mining. The collection of tools and documents also demonstrates technological developments, from craft to partial mechanization.

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