Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Protestant temple of Saint-Étienne was built between 1858 and 1860 on the plans of architect Léon Jossier, on land acquired by the city in 1856, the "Gardens de Passerat". Its funding was supported by Protestant forges masters such as Jackson, Holtzer and Dorian. Inaugurated in 1860, it became a Consistorative Church in 1855 under the Consistorative Regime. Its sober, rectangular architecture includes a tympanum adorned with an open Bible, symbol of the Reformed temples.

In 1868, a monumental wooden pulpit was added inside. In 1930, the original campanile was replaced by a cross, and in 1967 the grey glass windows gave way to symbolic stained glass windows (croix, wine, fig tree) created by local artist Alfred Paillon. The temple, originally incompletely completed, retains a single sculpted capital among its large arcades. Additional buildings, such as sacristy, were later added.

Pastor Louis Comte, installed in 1884, marked the history of the temple by his social commitment. Close to the workers, he founded popular libraries, a cooperative bakery, and the work of children in the mountains (1892), sending St. During the Dreyfus case, his position in favour of Alfred Dreyfus in 1899 caused a temporary suspension of his treatment by the government. The temple was declared a historic monument on October 4, 2010, recognizing its heritage and memorial importance.

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