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Key figures

Origin and history

The Taillanderie de Nans-sous-Sainte-Anne, founded in 1828 by the Lagrange family, was a workshop specialized in the manufacture of cutting tools such as fake tools, essential for local agriculture. Located at La Doye, near the Arcange Creek, it used hydraulic energy to operate its martinets and bellows, an ingenious system unique in Europe. Between 1890 and 1914, the factory employed 20-25 workers and produced 35,000 tools per year, of which 20,000 were false, representing 1/20th of the French market. Its decline began after World War I with agricultural mechanization, leading to its closure in 1969, with only three remaining workers.

Ranked as a historic monument in 1984, the Taillanderie retained all its original equipment: 250 kg martinets striking at 150 strokes per minute, oak bellows of 2 tons each, and hydraulic wheels of 5 meters in diameter. These installations, powered by a suspended aqueduct, formed an exceptional mechanical assembly, still functional today. The site operated as a workshop farm, where workers and apprentices lived in community, isolated from the village.

Since 1995, the museum has attracted 25,000 visitors annually, offering demonstrations of martinets and an exhibition on the life of blacksmiths. Representing the first industrialization in Franche-Comté, the Taillanderie integrates the Engrenages network, valuing the regional industrial heritage. In 2019, its sale after the death of its owner revived interest in this iconic site, a symbol of the small businesses that marked the local economic history.

The architecture of the site, unchanged since 1969, includes several 19th century buildings and hydraulics. The restoration enabled the machines to be restored to working order, offering immersion in traditional forging techniques. The Taillanderie also illustrates the decline of craftsmanship in the face of modernization, while becoming a place of memory for the lost know-how.

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