Description
Visit the Ainoz mill, a living testament to the history of Crest-Voland Cohennoz. Ghislaine and Patrick will reveal the secrets of this unique building, which served both as a mill and as the headquarters of a thriving wooden handle factory.
The Ainoz mill, named after the family to whom it has belonged since 1750, is situated in the aptly named Nant du Moulin, the natural boundary between the communes of Crest-Voland and Cohennoz.
The miller is an important figure in the village: it is to him that people bring their harvest of ‘wheat’ to be ground into flour for making bread, the staple of daily life.
Originally, the mill was fitted with a water wheel which, powered by the torrent’s flow, drove three millstones: one for barley, one for oats and one for wheat.
In the 1930s, the milling trade began to decline: the three Ainoz brothers therefore decided to diversify their business by installing wood-turning lathes.
The water wheel was replaced by a hydraulic turbine. Another turbine was installed to power the lathes.
The small Ainoz workshop produced all manner of wooden handles for screwdrivers, saucepans, handles and so on. It also made doll’s legs for the Samaritaine department store in Paris!
Business was fairly brisk and production was intense (300 handles an hour).
However, the advent of plastic brought an end to the business.
The mill fell into disuse in 1963, preserving all its treasures within.
The mill’s heirs undertook a massive restoration project to open the site to the public and, in doing so, breathe new life into this building steeped in history.
