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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Prout sawmill, founded around 1874 in Alençon by M. Prout, is a former wood processing plant. Its activity extended from local forests (Réno Valdieu, Bellême, Ecouves) to the production of parquet floors, furniture and, during the Second World War, galloches and barracks. The chimney, dated 1889, and the steam machine (replaced in 1928 by a double-expansion model of the Windsor workshops in Rouen) demonstrate its technical evolution. Disused after 1945, it was restored by the company France-Confort, specialized in wood construction.

The site retains outstanding industrial elements: Meunier and Cie (Lille) semi-tube boiler, generator-alternator, and Modaac-Krupp engine. These facilities, as well as the brick fireplace and machinery building, have been listed as historic monuments since 1995. The factory employed 30 workers around 1912, then 150 employees in 1987, reflecting its adaptation to economic needs, moving from the traditional sawmill to the manufacture of wooden caravans and chalets.

Architecturally, the site combines structures made of limestone stone (employer housing), reinforced concrete (water castle), and metal/brick (workshops). Electrical production, attested as early as 1919, and the use of local wood (Orne forests) underline its territorial anchor. The sawmill embodies the transition from the artisanal era to industrialization, while illustrating the reconversion of industrial heritage in Normandy.

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