Construction of glassware 1860 (≈ 1860)
Foundation by Félix Richer as glassware.
1881
Processing into porcelain
Processing into porcelain 1881 (≈ 1881)
Installation of three globe furnaces.
1900
Change of name
Change of name 1900 (≈ 1900)
B.L. and Charonnat.
1919
Repurchase by the Gaucher family
Repurchase by the Gaucher family 1919 (≈ 1919)
Operation until 1959.
1999
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 1999 (≈ 1999)
Protection of furnaces and buildings.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The two coal-fired globe furnaces at the Gaucher plant and the buildings that house them (Box DM 556); the gas-fired globe oven of the Vincent-Blin plant and the building which houses it (Case DM 103): inscription by order of 8 March 1999
Key figures
Félix Richer - Founder of glassware
Initial sponsor in 1860.
Besnard, Lachaise et Cie - Operators (1881)
Company managing the porcelain factory.
Famille Gaucher - Owners (1919-1959)
Latest industrial operators.
Origin and history
The Gaucher and Vincent-Blin porcelain factories, located in Vierzon, Cher, have their origins in a glass factory built in 1860 for Félix Richer. This industrial site was transformed in 1881 into a porcelain factory, equipped with three round coal-fired furnaces. At that time, the factory was operated by Besnard, Lachaise and Cie, employing 180 workers as early as 1882. This complex illustrates the importance of pig production in the region, integrated into the urban fabric between railway station and canal.
In 1900, the factory took the name of B.L. and Charonnat, before being transferred in 1919 to the Gaucher family, which operated it until 1959. The site, covering 2,700 m2, housed an exceptional metal frame, probably dating back to the 1840s-1850s, and intermittent fire furnaces, which were witnesses to sustainable industrial technology. Close to the Blin plant — where a similar oven is still suitable for gas — the Gaucher-Blin site offers a rare example of the evolution of cooking techniques, from coal to gas.
Disused and partially demolished (permitted in 1991 and 1998), the factories were listed as historic monuments in 1999 for their furnaces and associated buildings. The town of Vierzon, owner, envisages a landscape rehabilitation of the White Cross site, keeping these emblematic industrial remains. The global furnaces, which were functional until the 1950s, represent a major technical heritage, which is now threatened by structural degradation.
The urban context of Vierzon in the 19th century reveals a concentration of industrial activities, with sites like Gaucher-Blin enclaved between transport infrastructures (railway, canal) and dwellings. This organization reflects the integration of industry into local life, where porcelain played a key economic role. The proximity of the Gaucher and Blin plants and their technical complementarity (coal vs gas) underline the innovation and adaptation of production methods in the region.
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