National Powder mill of Sevran-Livry

the Imperial Powder mill then Nationale of Sevran-Livry functioned just a century, of 1873 with 1973. It counted to 3300 workmen and produced up to 28 tons of powder per day. Today, the old National Powder mill of Sevran - Livry, is a splendid city park of 137 ha located on the territory of the communes of Sevran, Villepinte, Livry-Gargan and Vaujours (Seine-Saint-Denis), opened with the public starting from 1973 and crossed by the Canal of Ourcq.

It is the only classified site of the department of the Seine-Saint-Denis in 1994.

the 1873 Beginning of the Powder mill

The December 27th 1865, Napoleon III sign the Decree creating the Imperial Powder mill of Sevran, for the manufacture of the powders of trade leaving with artillery only five places of production on the dozen installed in France (seven others being used for civil uses). The site of Sevran is selected for its geographical location, close to the Canal of Ourcq, close to a railway line, and distant of more than two kilometers of the towns of Sevran and Livry-Gargan, thus offering a certain safety. The construction of the imperial Powder mill begins in 1868, but it is stopped by the Franco-German Guerre of 1870. This one completed, work takes again and finishes in 1873. The characteristic of the Powder mill is that it is with vapor (instead of being hydraulic), great innovation of Gustave Maurouard, and that the buildings are laid out in half-circle, with 110 meters of the center of the engine.

In 1878, the Powder mill integrates a new organization: commission of Explosive substances (CSE).

When the Great War bursts in 1914, more than six hundred workmen work with the Powder mill of Sevran. Thereafter, some 1200 people manufacture ammunition and incendiary devices there. On this site, also a research laboratory is on the various mechanisms of explosion and ballistics.

The Second world war gives a new dash to the Powder mill. In April 1940, the workmen leave eight tons powder of war per day, increased by eight tons additional called " perles" used for the machine-guns. They arrive at a production of 500 tons in May 1940. As of on June 13rd, 1940, the Germans occupy manufacture. They strip it majority of the machines. In May 1941, Louis Ménard, new director of the Powder mill, preserves the chemical plant, working primarily for companies such as Kodak or Truffaut. The military section is preserved by the Germans, who employ 1200 people through the company Firma Buck. Louis Ménard and his team take an active part in the Résistance, provide networks and save Sevran by avoiding the destruction of the arsenal Firma Buck, wanted by the Germans.

In 1946, the Powder mill manufactures again powder of hunting.

In 1967, the firing device is developed in this laboratory.

Various structures

The various buildings were distant from/to each other in order to avoid any propagation of a possible explosion. They were connected between them by rails.

the central building of the Powder mill (reconverted today in museum)
the forum : three buildings laid out out of U; the first being the workshop of carbonization; the second and the third being hangars of storage;
the cartridge factory : building used for the manufacture of the blasting powders;
the caretaker's lodge : two buildings frame the entry of the Powder mill. It sheltered a quartering of soldiers and an infirmary.
the press : a press was used to extrude the nitroglycerin powders. Today, there remains only the wall protecting this press.
Merlons : in fact artificial ground hillocks strew the park. They were used to insulate the storage and workshops, in order to avoid the propagation of accidental explosions.
the ponds : four ponds collected nearly 120.000 cubic meters of rain water. They were used as tank in the case of accidental fires.

1973 end of the Powder mill

The decision was made by the French government to proceed to the reform of the Monopoly of the Powders within the framework of the the Treaty of Rome and to benefit from it to restructure the apparatus of production of the Service of the Powders.

It was decided to close inter alia the National Powder mill of Sevran-Livry with transfer of manufacture of propelling Poudres and propellents for rocket motor to Bergerac, Saint-Medard-in-Jalles and Bridge-of-Boxwood and of the laboratories at the Research center of Bouchet (the Essonne).

The factories and the laboratories of the Powder mill of Sevran-Livry stopped the ones after the others of 1969 with 1971, except for the Laboratoire of the Commission of the Explosive substances . For this period, the establishment was called Poudrerie and Laboratoires of Sevran then Central Etablissement of the Powders and Explosifs .

The Laboratoire of the Commission of the Explosive substances closed its doors in 1973, that is to say exactly 100 years after the starting of the Powder mill, its transfer took place in the Research and Studies Center of Charbonnages de France with Verneuil-in-Halatte.

The last director of the Powder mill was Engineer Général of the Powders Rene Amiable, current conservative of the Museum of the Powders.

Friendly Rene and some other people, whose historian Jean Astruc former president of the Historical Company of Raincy and the Country of Aulnoye, worked so that the wooded territory of the Powder mill, of a surface of 137 ha, is preserved.

They managed to safeguard certain vestiges (buildings, arcs of transmission).

1974 the Forest National park of the Powder mill

August 1st This park, skirted by the Channel of Ourcq, one of is attended Île-de-France and extends on 161 hectares. Its forest is in particular made up of oaks stalks, charms and ashes. It has a cycle track, which is prolonged out of the park, with Sevran and towards the Gare of Green-Gallant the.

It includes/understands in particular the Bois of Tussion , space departmental of 25 hectares made up of high timberings and vast meadows. It is currently closed with the public following the collapses pulled by dissolutions of Gypse. The side way giving access to the wood of Fine sands is accessible.

Since 2006, the forest National park is classified Natura 2000.

The technical Museum of the powders of armament

In 1982 was created the Museum of the Powder mill, transformed into 1990 in technical Museum of the powders of armament on the initiative of Rene Amiable, Jean Astruc, Marius Bœuf and Suzanne Rigal-Herbin.

Sheltered by a preserved building of the old factory, more than ten rooms testify to the strategic importance to the site to Sevran: Blasting powder with the solid propellents, while passing by the cartridges of hunting and with the powder “B”, known as Powder without smoke invented in 1886 by the engineer Paul Old woman. A room is also devoted to the workmen of the Powder mill.

See too

External bonds

Friends of the Forest Park of the Powder mill
IAURIF - Green areas and safety: study controls with the park of the Powder mill

Sources, notes and references

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