Probably built before the French Revolution by a master forger from Riaucourt, this dovecote is one of the few remaining examples of the old forges demolished around 1880 to make way for the canal. The purpose of this building was, of course, to house pigeons, but it was also, and above all, a sign of its owner's wealth and social standing.
It is a complex structure consisting of a central building with a rectangular floor plan forming a forebuilding to two lower sides to which two side wings have been added.
The elevations are built of rendered rubble stone on an ashlar base. These elevations feature beaded quoins formed by alternating ashlar and brick. The facade is punctuated by ashlar-framed openings resting on ornate features. The door is a basket-handle design, while the windows are round-headed. The façade is completed by a cornice on the first floor.
It should be noted that there is only the semblance of a randière on the facade and that the other sides are completely devoid of them (perhaps due to the presence of very high, very smooth walls that do not provide a hiding place for pests). The flight holes are located on the middle and upper levels of the building. The upper hole is fitted with a closing device and has an ornamental stone projecting from it, which serves as a flight platform for the pigeons. The slightly overhanging roof has a mantling on the façade and no ridge finials.
When the Germans occupied the canal lock in 1940, the lock-keepers took refuge in this dovecote and converted the interior to make it habitable. The bolts that lined the walls of the building were destroyed, and nothing remains of the interior. The dovecote is unique in that it has two side wings, which were added around 1880 when the canal was built. These wings were designed to house the animals used to tow the barges and to store their fodder. It should be noted that these extensions have ridge finials and a bank with mantling on the façade.
Colombier de Riaucourt
