Foundation start vers 1890 (≈ 1890)
Initial project by Lucien Lefort, abandoned.
1913-1922
Construction by Pierre Chirol
Construction by Pierre Chirol 1913-1922 (≈ 1918)
Resumed and completed.
1922
Blessing of stained glass windows
Blessing of stained glass windows 1922 (≈ 1922)
Spectacular of Gamet and Augustin installed.
14 septembre 2001
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 14 septembre 2001 (≈ 2001)
Registration of the entire building.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The entire church (Box AI 242): inscription by decree of 14 September 2001
Key figures
Lucien Lefort - Architect
Initiator of the project in 1890.
Pierre Chirol - Architect
Church finisher (1913-1922).
Paul-Hippolyte Flandrin - Painter
Author of the choir canvases.
Origin and history
The church of Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue du Petit-Quevilly was built in response to the population increase in the commune at the end of the 19th century. A first project, initiated around 1890 by architect Lucien Lefort, remains unfinished, limited to foundations. Work resumed in 1913 under the direction of Pierre Chirol, financed by a quest organized by the parish priest after the Law of Separation of Churches and State of 1905. The First World War and budgetary constraints prevented the original construction of the bell tower.
The building, built of white bricks, fits in an industrial style adapted to its urban environment. Its single-volume interior includes a nave illuminated by stained glass windows blessed in 1922, and a choir decorated with paintings by Paul-Hippolyte Flandrin illustrating the life of Saint Anthony of Padua. These artistic elements, combined with the stained glass windows signed by Gamet and Augustin, give the church a remarkable heritage dimension.
Classified as a historical monument on 14 September 2001, the church embodies the adaptation of religious architecture to the social and industrial changes of its time. Its history also reflects the financial and political challenges faced by parishes after the separation of the Church and the State, while at the same time attesting to the local artistic vitality through the contributions of Flandrin and master glassmakers.
