Saint-André church

Built in 1924 in a Romano-Byzantine style, the Church of Saint-André stands as both a testament to the development of the Plateau neighborhood in which it is located, and a poignant reminder of the First World War.
Until its construction, the town had only the Church of Saint-Maurice, located on the Grande Rue at the foot of the slope leading up to the Bois de Vincennes. However, as the town expanded over the course of the 19th century, this old place of worship proved too small and too far from the newly built homes. In 1912, Abbé Bressange, parish priest of Saint-Maurice, noted that residents of the Plateau had taken to attending services in the church of Charenton-le-Pont, but appeared willing to help finance a new building.

It was ultimately in the aftermath of the First World War that the current sanctuary was erected. Mr. André Lemoine, who had served as the parish organist for forty years, and his wife, donated the land and financed the construction to honor the memory of their son, who was killed in action on December 17, 1914, at the age of 28. He is buried in a vault beneath the altar, later joined by the remains of his parents.

Designed by architect Jacquemin, the church was built in just one year using a concrete structure clad in brick, in a style combining Romanesque and Byzantine influences, which was common in churches built during the interwar period. The bell tower, however, was not completed until 1931. In the years that followed, other families connected to Saint-Maurice donated stained glass windows commemorating the deaths of their loved ones, further strengthening the bond between the church and the memory of the Great War.