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Stone in the Plateau by Paul Gremard | ||||||||||
| Stone is one of the most important natural resource of the Hauteville plateau | ||||||||||
| The sedimentary limestone has a detrital origin due to chemical precipitation in the sea that once covered this part of the world. The industrial exploitation of the limestone of Hauteville began around 1840. The outstanding quality of the limestone rapidly gained renown and appreciation. Orders both big and small flooded in from all parts of the world: the first significant one being that in 1863, for the building of a bridge in Paris. For several years, the mining remained manual. Therefore, this was a laborious job requiring the employment of strong men capable of using heavy tools. Large stone blocks were loaded into «fardiers» (big carts with wooden wheels drawn by oxen) and driven to the train station in Tenay, 12 km away. They were then transported by train to their final destinations.  It was only in 1919 that the first «fardier» was motorized. However, the technology for deep quarrying had not yet been developed, and mining soon became extremely difficult. Today, with the advent of modern technology, quarries continue to provide high quality limestone. A building made of the Hauteville stone is incomparable. The creamy color of the stone is enhanced by tones of gray or light ochre. It is compact, homogeneous and easy to polish. In addition, because of its hardness, it can resist the worst of weather. Since the end of the 19th century, limestone of Champdor-Hauteville has been used in many prestigious buildings around the world. • |
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