Former “rue du moulin”, it owed its name to the windmill built by Jean-Jacques de Mesmes in 1541. King François 1er had given permission.
At all times, it was the street that had the fewest inhabitants but it was the most frequented by Roisséens. This street led them in the order that history tells us: to the ordinary oven, to the press, when there were vines on the southern slopes of the village, finally to the windmill.
Walk down the street to the restaurant "Madame est servie", a resident of Roissy tells you:
In English:
“You are in front of a restaurant… But before any tasting, be aware that there were two craft workshops at this location: a forge and a body shop.
Directed by the blacksmith Louis Lallement, the forge was essential to the various farmers. Indeed, here were practiced: the shoeing of horses and the maintenance and sharpening of the machines of the time: plows, harrows and cutting equipment...
The animation was permanent there. The crossover of the teams of horses that entered through the large porch, mixed with the heat, the dust and the deafening sound of hammer blows, created a special atmosphere in these places. The horseshoes, and the various metal parts had to be heated to bright red and then worked directly on the anvil, with great precision.
Attached to the forge, the carpentry-carpentry workshop was operated by the Thorigny family. Its activity was largely dedicated to farmers:
– whether it is the construction and maintenance of trolleys, strapping of wheels and hubs
– furniture manufacturing,
– or the maintenance of residential buildings and farms. But here, unlike the forge, there was no heat or metal parts, the Thorignys essentially worked wood there! Sawdust covered the floor and a strong smell of resin invaded the room, as the wood shavings were scattered.«
All rights reserved. The texts are written by Henri HOUMAIRE