Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Protestant temple of Enghien-les-Bains is a religious building built in the mid-19th century, at the initiative of Parisian Protestant families living in the Montmorency valley. Ms. Léonie Davillier launched a subscription for its construction, and the temple was inaugurated on May 20, 1855. He initially depended on the Reformed Consistory of Versailles before becoming an autonomous parish in 1890, under the impulse of Pastor Paul de Félice, who developed an active community there.

The temple was enlarged in 1936, with the addition of stained glass windows decorated with Huguenotian crosses. In 1985, a presbyteral house, "La Maison Haute", was acquired to house a Protestant training centre. The organ, originally built in 1959 by Paul Adam, was replaced in 2018 by a new instrument manufactured by the Pascal factory in Lille, comprising 13 games and an electric transmission.

The philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, although not directly related to the temple, marked local history by residing in Montmorency between 1756 and 1757. He wrote major works such as Julie or New Heloism and Emile or Education. Its presence illustrates the historical anchoring of Protestantism in the region, long before the temple was built.

Designed by the Parisian architect Clavet, the temple adopts a rectangular plan oriented towards a pulpit surmounted by a cross and the inscription "God is love". It embodies the architectural and spiritual heritage of Reformed Protestantism in Île-de-France, while remaining an active place of community life, with activities such as Scouting since 1911.

External links