Lignières: Then and Now

Our tour of the changes in Lignières over a century comes to an end with a building which has seen many mutations over that period and was in the midst of yet another transformation when the “now” picture was taken in November of 2006. Part of the structure dates from before 1855, and was originally a rural dwelling. In 1875, it was rebuilt to become the place of worship for the congregation of the Eglise évangélique neuchâteloise indépendante, which was formed in the schism of 1873 in which the Eglise réformée neuchâteloise divided into the Eglise nationale and the independent church. Prior to the acquisition of this building, the independent church shared the Temple de Lignières with the national church, holding separate Sunday services in the same building.

This post card was mailed in 1908, when the building, located at present-day address Rue de Fin de Forel 8 (RACN 010-6456-00124) retained its religious function. Afterward, as the independent church dissipated, the large, open interior was used as a gymnasium and later a mechanical workshop. The independent and national churches were formally reunited in July 1941 by the creation of the Eglise réformée évangélique neuchâteloise. With the completion of the most recent renovation, the building's stately architecture has been complemented by a striking red exterior. One understands the need to be practical, but it's too bad the round windows at the left had to go (they had been replaced by the three rectangular windows long before the most recent renovation).

This concludes our walk through the streets of Lignières and across the decades. I hope you've enjoyed it, and that this project may inspire others to undertake similar projects for their home towns.