Expected date of construction Après 1847 (≈ 1847)
Period after 1847 confirmed
1ère moitié du XIXe siècle
Construction of mill
Construction of mill 1ère moitié du XIXe siècle (≈ 1865)
Windmill in schist type
1913
Construction of miller's house
Construction of miller's house 1913 (≈ 1913)
Later renovated building
1938
Reshaping the mill
Reshaping the mill 1938 (≈ 1938)
Date on building
1958
Cessation of activity
Cessation of activity 1958 (≈ 1958)
End of milling operation
24 mai 1974
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 24 mai 1974 (≈ 1974)
Official protection of the mill
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Moulin (Case E 517): entry by order of 24 May 1974
Key figures
Berton - Inventor of the wing system
System installed during elevation
Origin and history
The Tru Mill is a tower windmill, built in shale, located south of the department of Ille-et-Vilaine, west of the village of La Chapelle-de-Brain. Dating from the first half of the nineteenth century, it is supposed to have been erected after 1847. This flour mill has undergone several changes, including an elevation during the installation of Berton wings, an innovative system for the time. It was also equipped with a poor gas engine before it ceased operation in 1958.
The mill bears the trace of a remodeling in 1938, and its miller's house, built in 1913, was remodeled. Today, the building is in poor condition due to the ruin of its roof, threatening the machines still present. It has been listed as a historical monument since 24 May 1974 and reflects the evolution of milling techniques and local industrial history.
The Tru Mill is a typical example of Breton windmills, often built from local materials such as the shale. These buildings played a central role in the rural economy, transforming cereals into flour for surrounding communities. Their decline in the 20th century, with the arrival of new technologies and motorization, marked the end of an era for these iconic buildings.