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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

La Tannerie Peltereau-Tenneson, located in Château-Renault, is an ancient 19th-century leather factory. Located near the river La Brenne, it preserves most of its original buildings: river work shops, dryers, corroyerie, storage stores, and a factory chimney. This industrial site, active for nearly 380 years, ceased its activity in 1978 under the direction of André Tenneson. Today owned by the city, some of the premises were rehabilitated in 1985 to house the Leather and Tannery Museum.

The history of tannery at Château-Renault dates back to at least the 16th century, with traces of a crowd at tan mentioned in the Middle Ages as Fosse des Paillarz. The conversion of the city, formerly specialized in textiles, to tannery accelerated after the industrial crisis of 1810. Jacques-Henri Peltereau, heir to a linen factory founded in 1795 in a former convent, turned to the production of leather with soles, marking the beginning of the factory's development. His nephew Auguste Peltereau, then his widow Célestine, developed the business, before Joseph Tenneson took over from 1912 to 1931.

The site, which has been listed as historic monuments since September 27, 2004, illustrates the evolution of tanning techniques and the economic importance of this industry for Château-Renault, formerly known as the Leather City. Among the protected elements are the summer dry, the high fireplace, the facades of the workshops, and the former house of the director. Although some buildings have disappeared (machine room, bark hall, tan mill), the set offers a rare testimony of industrial architecture related to leather in France.

The Peltereau-Tenneson tannery also embodies the social and economic changes in the region. Originally composed of small craft units of 4 to 5 workers, the factory is gradually industrializing, becoming a major player of the General Leather and Skin Union of France. Its decline, which occurred in the 1970s, reflects the upheavals of French industry in the face of globalization. Today, the museum perpetuates the memory of this technical and human heritage.

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