Timeline

Heritage classified

Origin and history

Latoue's wash-and-drink, located in the village of the same name in Haute-Garonne (Occitanie), dates from the last quarter of the 19th century, around 1880. This book is part of a period when rural communities are seeking to modernize their water infrastructure in response to the growing needs for hygiene and agriculture. Its construction combines a variety of materials: a circular cutting stone watering machine, an internal concrete basin, and an oak and poplar frame supporting a roof in hooked tiles. These technical choices reflect local know-how and resources available at the time.

The building is designed to fulfil a dual function: public washing for laundry and drinking for livestock, illustrating the importance of water in the daily and economic life of the countryside. Its inscription as Historic Monument by decree of 13 December 1988 underlines its heritage value, both architectural and historical. The approximate location (58 Le Village) and the map accuracy considered "passable" (note 5/10) indicate geographic documentation to be refined, although its official address is listed in the Merimée base.

The construction of the washbasin is part of a broader context of improving living conditions in rural areas, with new wells, pump installation and improved water supply management. These developments, often carried out by municipalities, are aimed at reducing shortages and diseases associated with unsafe water. In this way, Latoue's wash-and-drinker embodies the collective efforts to combine public utility and sustainability, while at the same time demonstrating the hybrid construction techniques (stone, concrete, wood) characteristic of the late 19th century.

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