Moulin du Domaine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Moulin du Domaine-de-Lotbinière |
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| General information | |
| Type | Water-powered grinding mill |
| Classification | Heritage building (Immeuble patrimonial) |
| Address | 7218, route Marie-Victorin |
| Town or city | Lotbinière, Quebec |
| Country | Canada |
| Coordinates | 46°38′45″N 71°53′32″W / 46.645816°N 71.892320°W |
| Completed | 1799 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Stone masonry |
| Floor count | 2 ½ |
The Moulin du Domaine-de-Lotbinière (which means Lotbinière Domain Mill) is a very old water-powered mill. It was used to grind flour. You can find it in the Chaudière-Appalaches region of Quebec, Canada.
This mill was built in 1799. It worked for many years, but finally closed down in 1942. Today, it is recognized as a special heritage building. It is now a private home.
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Where is the Mill Located?
The Moulin du Domaine-de-Lotbinière is in the town of Lotbinière. This town is part of the Chaudière-Appalaches area in Quebec. The mill is on a road called Marie-Victorin.
It sits on a large piece of land. This land is quite close to the big Saint Lawrence River. There is also an old archaeological site nearby. This site shows that people lived here even before Europeans arrived. You can also find remains of an old church and a chapel.
The mill got its power from a stream. This stream is known by a few names: Ruisseau Saint-Eustache, Ruisseau du Domaine, or Ruisseau du Moulin (Mill Stream). The mill is upstream from the Rivière-du-Moulin Ecological Reserve. This reserve has a forest that locals call the Bois du Domaine.
What Does the Mill Look Like?
The Moulin du Domaine-de-Lotbinière is a water-powered mill. It was built using strong stone blocks. Its base is also made of stone. The building has a rectangular shape. It has two full floors and a smaller half-floor under its roof.
The roof is sloped and has a medium pitch. The windows and doors are placed evenly. This style shows a design influence called neoclassical. The back wall of the mill is mostly plain, with just one door. The other walls have windows that open outwards. These windows have many small glass panes.
On the second floor, there is a door that leads to a balcony. This balcony has a railing. The railing is decorated with a pattern that looks like Saint Andrew's crosses.
History of the Mill
In 1672, a leader named Jean Talon gave the land of Lotbinière to René-Louis Chartier de Lotbinière. He was known as the seigneur. A seigneur was like a lord who owned a large area of land. It was common for a seigneur to keep a special estate for himself.
An early flour mill started working on the Ruisseau Saint-Eustache in 1693. This first mill was in the area called Domaine-de-Lotbinière. This was the very first main part of the seigneur's land. It was a "banal mill." This meant the seigneur had to build a mill for everyone living on his land. People had to bring their grain to this mill to be ground. They also had to pay a fee, called the droit de banalité.
In 1769, the seigneur built a new mill. Then, in 1799, the current Moulin du Domaine-de-Lotbinière was built to replace it.
Challenges and Changes
In the early 1800s, the fourth seigneur, Michel-Eustache-Gaspard-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière, noticed a problem. The mill's water supply would get very low each summer. This made it harder for the mill to grind flour. He tried to fix this issue.
Because of the water problem, he decided to build a second mill. This new mill, called the Moulin du Portage, was built on the banks of the Chêne River. Construction started in 1815. The next year, he closed the Moulin du Domaine because it couldn't work as well.
However, the Moulin du Domaine was largely rebuilt in 1831. It got new machines for grinding flour. It could also process fabrics. The mill kept working throughout the 1800s. Even with water supply issues, it stayed open until 1942, when it was finally closed for good.
Becoming a Heritage Site
On September 30, 1864, the Quebec Minister of Culture and Communications officially recognized the mill. They classified it as a heritage building. This means it is an important historical site.
In 1967, two people who loved history bought the mill. They changed it into a private home. On June 2, 1977, the minister set up a protected area around the mill. This helps keep the site safe.
In 2014, the Ministry of Culture and Communications offered money to help restore the mill. The owner also paid for part of the work. Major repairs were needed for the building's structure, stone walls, chimneys, and roof.
