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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Moulin de la Courade, located on the Boëme at the Crown (Charente), is a former stationery founded in 1634. In 1741, he was integrated into the Royal Manufacture of Angoulême under the direction of the Parisian merchant Jacques Henry, and enjoyed royal privileges until their abolition in 1763 by Turgot. The site remained in the Henry family until the 20th century, evolving with technical innovations such as the introduction of the Dutch pile in 1785 and wooden cylinders in 1806.

In 1818 Henry Lacourade modernized the factory by giving it its current U-shaped shape and adding four tanks. A new mechanical workshop was built in 1837, and the owner's house, nicknamed the castle, was built in 1875. The papers produced were awarded at the 1844 and 1849 industrial exhibitions. In 1904, the site converted to cardboard with the addition of an electric turbine, before it ceased operations in 1969.

The two-hectare English park, located behind the house, is home to a madness and typical 19th-century species (cedars, redwoods, plane trees). Ranked a historic monument in 2009 with all buildings, the site is now open to the public. The last owner family, the Doré, descended from the last manufacturer, Jean-Baptiste Guillaud.

The mill's technical innovations, such as light cylinders or hydro turbines, illustrate its pioneering role in the French paper industry. Its U-style architecture and park reflect the alliance between industrial production and bourgeois life in the 19th century. Family transmission over more than three centuries underscores its local roots and its economic importance for the region.

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