Pierre-François Guillon was born in Romanèche-Thorins on June 13, 1848. Son of a master carpenter, he started training with his father in 1863. After his early training, he decided to become a journeyman and had to leave Romanèche-Thorins to do his Tour of France. He was not yet 18 years old when he took to the roads on his Tour, starting on March 17, 1866.
He began in Auxerre, where he was admitted to “The Duty of Freedom” guild under the guild name “Child of Progress of Mâcon.” He then went to Paris to work on the 1867 Exposition and the seminary of Saint-Sulpice. In 1868, he went through several towns — Blois, Angers, Chenonceau, and Tours.
In 1869 he returned to his father in Romanèche-Thorins, and gave his first carpentry courses. After returning from the war in 1870, in which he had volunteered, he founded “The Practical School of Stereotomy Applied to Construction” in 1871, better known under the name of The School of Drawing. In his school Pierre-François Guillon taught contractors and public works carpenters, future architects, and many construction foremen.
Pierre-François Guillon was also mayor of Romanèche-Thorins from 1898 to 1920, dignitary freemason, and President of the Higher Council of “The Duty of Freedom.
He died in 1923.
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