First paper mill of Gascogne fin XVe siècle (≈ 1595)
Installation on pre-existing bladier site.
1826
Adding a fourth wheel
Adding a fourth wheel 1826 (≈ 1826)
Extension of milling capacity.
1912
Processing into sawmills
Processing into sawmills 1912 (≈ 1912)
A mill suitable for sawmills.
1943
Final closure of the mill
Final closure of the mill 1943 (≈ 1943)
End of milling activity.
1984
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 1984 (≈ 1984)
Registration by ministerial decree.
1988
Partial destruction of the dam
Partial destruction of the dam 1988 (≈ 1988)
Water supply cut.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Watermill (Case C 280): inscription by order of 9 November 1984
Origin and history
The water mill of Cahuzac-sur-Adour, located in Gers, is identified as the first paper mill of Gascogne at the end of the 15th century. Installed on a pre-existing bladier site, its rectangular two-storey building, built of coated stoneware, was originally home to paper production. After a century, it was converted into a flour mill, equipped with three pairs of grinding wheels, and then a fourth after 1826, one of which was transformed in 1912 to operate an adjacent sawmill.
The mill, powered by a nearly 4 km canal connected to the Adour, ceased operations in 1943. With six waterways, it used horizontal wheels after the abandonment of paper production. In 1988, the partial destruction of its dike permanently interrupted its feeding. Today, the site retains three pairs of grinding wheels, several wheels, a beating saw and a 5 metre blutoir, reflecting its technical evolution.
Ranked a Historic Monument in 1984, the mill has been restored and has served as a rural gite for about 25 years. Its history illustrates the successive adaptations of rural mills, from paper production to milling and then sawmilling, reflecting local economic needs from the 15th to the 20th century. The accuracy of its location remains poor (level 5/10), but its approximate address is the 5083 Chemin du Moulin in Cahuzac-sur-Adour.
