Construction of mill 1860-1865 (≈ 1863)
Built for Adolphe Bouly, innovative miller.
1939-1945
Military observatory
Military observatory 1939-1945 (≈ 1942)
Used by French and German armies.
1952-1953
End of milling activity
End of milling activity 1952-1953 (≈ 1953)
Definitive cessation of operation.
4 novembre 1994
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 4 novembre 1994 (≈ 1994)
Registration by ministerial decree.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The mill (Box ZE 6): registration by order of 4 November 1994
Key figures
Adolphe Bouly - Workmaster and miller
Builder and original owner of mill.
Edmund Lee - Orientation system inventor
Designed the butterfly in 1745.
Origin and history
The mill of Yonville is a windmill located in Citerne, in the department of the Somme (Hauts-de-France). Built between 1860 and 1865 for 29-year-old miller Adolphe Bouly, it embodies the technological advances of milling in the 19th century. Its octagonal wooden architecture and swivel roof, equipped with an automatic wing orientation system (the "flyer"), make it a unique example in Picardia.
During the Second World War, the mill served as an observatory for the French and then German armies. He ceased milling in 1952-1953. Damaged by a recent storm, he lost his wings and roof, now covered with sheet metal. Despite its degraded state, the motor axis remains, and the site has remained protected since its inscription in historical monuments on 4 November 1994.
The mill is distinguished by its technical innovations, such as the jealousy wings (wind-adjustable components) and its orientation system inspired by Edmund Lee (1745). Located in the courtyard of a farm, on the road to Oisemont, it illustrates the rural industrial heritage of the Somme and the economic changes of the 19th century.
