Guided tour of the Odon Workshops
The site called «rotation workshops», located in the immediate vicinity of the church, at the edge of the Odon, at number 2 of the street of Eterville has known several uses. Probably built at the end of the 18th century, as a wheat mill, it was transformed in the 19th century into an oil mill. At that time, the rapeseed industry in our region flourished. Subsequently, Pierre and André Brunet used the waterfall of the mill to power the turbines of their large furniture factory. In 1907, within the factory, they created an apprenticeship workshop for young people destined for the furniture industry. In 1930, Pierre Hébert set up his broom factory in the same buildings in Verson. He brings sorghum, the best straw, from Hungary, Italy or Orange via the rail of the old station of Verson to make his brooms. He distinguished himself in this unusual manufacture and was the president of the brush manufacturers of France. Pierre Hébert was also mayor of Verson from 1944 to 1965. The City of Verson bought the building in 1983. It then served as rotation workshops (business incubator), to meet the demand of entrepreneurs looking for administrative and industrial premises to launch their activity. Among other things, the companies entrusted to Coulidoor, SODEM and Ceditherm have launched their activities there. The site was then occupied by some associations. The rehabilitation of the Rotation Workshops was the flagship project of the 2014-2020 mandate and the start of the 2020-2026 mandate. The elected representatives wanted to keep these buildings characteristic of industrial architecture of the 19th century. From then on, everything was done to restore these buildings, located between the Saint Germain church of the 12th century and the Odon River, in harmony with the existing building and environment. The natural heritage is therefore rediscovered, like the Little Odon that passes under the building, very little known to the inhabitants of Verson themselves. In general, this operation helps to improve the living environment of the Versonnais, highlights the river and its history and allows to requalify the town entrance south of Verson.