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The Bois-du-Luc was a coal mine in Houdeng-Aimeries, near La Louvière, in Belgium which today is preserved as an industrial heritage site. As well as the site of the headquarters of the Société des Charbonnages de Bois-du-Luc et d'Havre, the Bois du Luc was the site of the Saint Emmanuel Pit (Fosse Saint-Emmanuel) which belonged to the company. The Fosse Saint-Emmanuel was one of the oldest mines in Belgium, with recorded activity dating back to 1685. The company ceased mining in 1973.

The Bois-du-Luc is particularly known for the surrounding company town (cité ouvrière) which was created for the mine works during the 19th century and is today one of the most notable surviving remnants of industrial paternalism in Belgium. It includes workers' housing which dates from the 1830s and covers approximately 2 hectares (4.9 acres).

The site, run as an ecomuseum since 1983, features on the European Route of Industrial Heritage and is one of the four Walloon mining sites listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site under the Major Mining Sites of Wallonia listing.

Further reading

• Charles-Albert de Behault, Les Charbonnages de Bois-du-Luc, une histoire de familles, Bulletin de l'Association de la Noblesse du Royaume de Belgique, avril 2022, n° 310, pp. 78-103.
• Joseph Plumet, Une société minière sous l’Ancien Régime, la « Société du Grand Conduit et du Charbonnage d’Houdeng » 1685 –1800, Imprim. J. Duculot, Gembloux, 1941; 145 pages.
• Victor Delattre et Joseph Plumet, Les Charbonnages du Bois-du-Luc et d’Havré, notices historiques, 1935, 181 pages.
• Ouvrage collectif, Bois-du-Luc 1685-1985, Écomusée régional du Centre, 1985, 182 pages.
• Jules Monoyer, Mémoire sur l’origine et le développement de l’industrie houillère dans le Bassin du Centre, Mons, 1874.
• Bois-du-Luc, un écrin majestueux où la vie des mineurs se raconte, Guide - Ecomusée régional du Centre, 2004, 98 p.
• Jacques Liébin et Evelyne Masure-Hannecart, Bois-du-Luc : un site charbonnier du XIXe siècle, éd. Pierre Mardaga, coll. "Musées vivants de Wallonie et de Bruxelles", 1987.

Images

• Gates to the Fosse Saint Emmanuel
• Workers' housing
• Director's house
• Church of Saint Barbara
• Foundry

External links

• Official website Archived 2001-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
• Bois-du-Luc Ecomuseum at 365.be

50°28′14″N 4°09′00″E / 50.470461°N 4.149881°E / 50.470461; 4.149881

v t e Major Mining Sites of Wallonia (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Grand-Hornu Bois-du-Luc Bois du Cazier Blegny-Mine
See also: List of World Heritage Sites in Belgium • European Route of Industrial Heritage

v t e European Route of Industrial Heritage
Anchor sites	Augsburg textile and industry museum August Horch Museum Zwickau Beringen coal preparation plant Big Pit National Coal Museum Blaenavon Ironworks Bocholt textile museum Bois du Cazier Calais lace museum Chatham Historic Dockyard Brick Works De Panoven Continium Derwent Valley Mills Espace Métal, Grossouvre Gasometer Oberhausen Geevor Tin Mine Guido mine Heartlands, Redruth Heineken Experience Hendrich's Drop Forge, Solingen Historical Technical Museum, Peenemünde Jewellery Quarter Kelham Island Museum Lion Salt Works London Museum of Water & Steam Manufaktura, Museum of the Factory Medemblik steam museum Merkers Adventure Mines Důl Michal, Ostrava mNACTEC Terrassa Museum over industrie, arbeid en textiel National Coal Mining Museum for England Nordwolle Museum Nord, Narvik Norks Teknisk Museum Parys Mountain Carreau Wendel musée de mineurs Prato textile museum Quarry Bank Mill Rammelsberg Rhondda Heritage Park Saltaire Historic Silver Mine in Tarnowskie Góry Tyskie brewing museum Tyssedal Hydroelectric Power Station TwentseWelle Verdant Works Völklingen Ironworks Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex
Former Anchor sites	Beringen coal preparation plant Science and Industry Museum

• European Route of Industrial Heritage Anchor Points
• Mining museums
• Industry museums in Belgium
• Museums in Hainaut (province)
• La Louvière
• Coal mines in Belgium