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Origin and history

The Girard Mill, also known as the Grand Mill of Montluel, is a water mill located in the municipality of Montluel, in the department of Ain (region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes). Its origin dates back at least to the Middle Ages, under the name of mill Gerbais, operated on a moutier canal traced from the thirteenth century. This canal, derived from the Sereine River, fed a vertical wheel for wheat flour production. The site operated continuously until the post-World War II period, before being permanently decommissioned in the 1950s.

The major reconstruction of the mill took place in 1845, marking a notable architectural overhaul. The buildings, organized around a square courtyard, combine traditional materials: pebbles, bricks, pebbles and wooden panels for the upper floors. The central building (R+4) housed the essential mechanisms (mells, gears, turbines), while the lateral wings were used for grain storage, mill housing and related activities (porchery, henhouse). A wooden bridge connected the buildings above the entrance and wheel, highlighting the ingenuity of the layout.

The mill was protected for historical monuments on 6 November 2009, including all buildings, the beef, the wheel and its mechanism. However, this registration was cancelled by the Lyon Administrative Court on 26 April 2012, for reasons not specified in the sources. Today, the site preserves traces of its past activity, such as the pits of pigs or ghosts of walled windows, testimonies of successive transformations. Its heritage interest lies in its compact structure and its history linked to the evolution of pre-industrial milling techniques.

The plans of the early 19th century attest to the existence of the three main buildings before 1845, although their current apparatus (galets, fine bricks) suggests partial reconstruction at that date. The Gerbais mill, ancestor of the Girard mill, illustrates the continuity of a milling site over nearly seven centuries, adapted to local economic needs. The decommissioning in the 1950s coincided with the modernization of the agri-food industry, marking the end of an era for artisanal mills.

The site, now owned by a private company, also includes modest outbuildings (poultry, pigsty) and a place of rest near the canal. The state of conservation varies: some buildings, such as the one in R+3 sheltering the bluters, retain a neat apparatus, while others suffer from degradation (beam collapse, erosion of the pise). Despite its downgrading, the Girard Mill remains a remarkable example of 19th century milling architecture, linked to the economic history of the Coast.

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