Construction of mill 1660 (≈ 1660)
Date attested by limestone cartridge.
3e quart XVIIe siècle
Construction period
Construction period 3e quart XVIIe siècle (≈ 1762)
Architectural date of the mill tower.
11 juin 2001
Registration Historic Monument
Registration Historic Monument 11 juin 2001 (≈ 2001)
Official protection of the tower (Box C 173).
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Moulin (Case C 173): entry by order of 11 June 2001
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
The source text does not mention any historical actors.
Origin and history
The mill of Pierre à Grez, located in the commune of Grez (Oise, Hauts-de-France), is a windmill of the type mill-tour, built in the 3rd quarter of the 17th century. Its structure is distinguished by a masonry tower combining sandstone and flint, arranged in checker, with brick links. A limestone cartridge, inserted on the first level, attests to its construction around 1660. This architectural system integrates a mobile frame allowing to steer the wings according to the wind direction, a technique characteristic of the mills of this period.
The mill of Pierre has a historical peculiarity: it was the last mill operating in the Oise department. Its inscription as a Historical Monument by order of 11 June 2001 underlines its heritage value, in particular for its protected element, the tower itself (cadastre C 173). The masonry, composed of local materials (greas, flint, brick), reflects the resources and know-how available in the region in the seventeenth century, while its function as windmill demonstrates its central economic role for the surrounding rural communities.
The location of the mill in the former Picardie region (now Hauts-de-France) is part of a territory marked by a long milling tradition. Windmills were essential for the processing of cereals, the basis of food and local economy. The mill of Pierre, by its late persistence in activity, embodies the transition between medieval techniques and the beginning of agricultural mechanization. Its state of conservation and its registration as Historic Monuments make it a rare testimony of this rural industrial heritage.
