The Closset House

The Maison Closset takes its name from the owner who converted it into flats in 1924. In the 18th century, this building housed the textile workshops of Paul von dem Bruch, whose daughter married a Peltzer son from Stolberg in Germany. Peltzer & Sons, which moved to the other side of the Vesdre in the 19th century, employed up to 40,000 people (spread over the various sites) and, together with the firm Iwan Simonis, made a significant contribution to the worldwide reputation of the Verviers textile industry.The architecture of the building is representative of the construction method of the proto-industrial era. The building dates from the second half of the 18th century, just before the industrial revolution.The volume of the building is high. There are several levels for the workshops, lit by repetitive bays decorated with limestone elements: domed lintels with keys, sills extended in bands in brickwork decorated with numerous anchor bolts. The base is made of limestone in order to provide a solid foundation for the construction.