Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Courpalay grain silo was built between 1937 and 1938, shortly after the establishment of the local cooperative in 1934. Designed by architect Roger Gilbert and designed by Cogeba, this reinforced concrete building was originally planned to store 12,800 quintals of cereal in the silo and 2,200 quintals in bags in the dedicated store. Its functional architecture reflected the growing need for agricultural modernization at the time, in a context where cooperatives played a key role for small producers.

Since the 1960s, silo activity has diversified with the addition of new crops such as rapeseed, modern cereals and maize. This development necessitated the construction of a second reinforced concrete store adjacent to the main building. Despite these adaptations, the silo has retained its original use and remains operational today, illustrating the sustainability of cooperative infrastructures in the rural landscape of France.

Ranked Historic Monument by order of 11 September 1998 for its silo (cadastre B 813), the whole is still owned by a private company. Its inscription bears witness to the heritage recognition of the industrial architectures related to agriculture, often unknown. The location at 22 rue Lafayette (or 24 according to GPS sources) confirms its anchoring in the urban fabric of Courpalay, in Seine-et-Marne.

The accuracy of its geographical location is estimated as satisfactory a priori (note 6/10), reflecting the limitations of historical cartographic data. This silo embodies both a 20th century technical heritage and an ever-present economic tool, a rare example of functional continuity over nearly a century.

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