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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Lajus sawmill, located in Celles-sur-Plaine in the Vosges, was mentioned in 1751 on the map of the principality of Salm-Salm. It also appeared on the cadastral plans of 1809 and 1846, as well as in the Waters and Forests regulations at the end of the 19th century. The building, consisting of a stone house and a wooden hangar, was expanded in 1891, with regular renovations of its hydraulic wheel, whose wooden elements had a lifespan of about 15 years.

On September 23, 1870, the sawmill was the scene of fighting between Prussian and French troops, including the Meurthe Mobiles, during the Franco-German war. A memorial, erected in 1900 nearby, recalls this episode. The sawmill, with its mechanical installations (vertical wheel of 4 meters in diameter, bypass bay, high-iron with crank rod), is a rare testimony of the Vosges hydraulic industry.

The Lajus sawmill, classified as a Historical Monument by order of 7 May 1982, illustrates the evolution of sawing techniques from the 18th to the 20th century. Its mechanism, powered by the Plaine River, includes an oak and cast iron wheel, wooden blades, and a gear transmission system. This site, still linked to the forest and industrial history of the Vosges, remains an emblematic heritage of the Great East.

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