Eglise St Élophe et St Christophe de Graffigny - the church of St Elophe and St Cristopher

Five roads access the village of Graffigny - from the north and the village of Nijon, from the east and highway E21, from the southeast and the village of Chaumont-la-ville, from the southwest along D214 and the village of Mailancourt-sur-ville, and finally, from the northwest along D16 and Bourmont.

Churches of Graffigny-Chemin

Graffigny-Chemin,  a small village of less than 300 souls,  has two churches, the Eglise St Élophe et St Christophe de Graffigny and the Eglise St Nicolas de Chemin.

As the names suggest, the first church serves Graffigny, and the other, the even smaller adjoining village of Chemin. Chemin, in French, means pathway, and the pathway that crosses Chemin is called the Voie Romaine, or Roman Way, that has existed since Roman times.


Eglise St Élophe et St Christophe de Graffigny

The church of St Élophe (St. Adophe) and St Christopher is along the Voie Romaine at the intersection of the Rue du Chene and the Chemin de l'Eglise. The church stands across the square from my grandmother's home. Saint Élophe is a fourth century martyr, decapitated along the Voie Romaine at Solimariaca. St Christopher is the patron saint of travelers.

l'eglise de St Elophe et St Christophe, Graffigny (google maps)

Chemin de l'eglise (google maps)

my grandmother's house (google maps)

The interior of the church reveals a beautiful altar piece. Along the sides leading to the altar are stain glass windows. Two of the windows are donated by the family Chevallier. One is from the family of Paul Constant Chevallier, my great great grandfather. The second is a donation of Madame Charles Hipolyte Chevallier, the older brother of Paul Constant.

Interior of the Eglise St Elophe et St Christophe de Graffigny-Chemin

The two windows can be found on the right hand side of the church as you enter. The window to the left is donated by  Madame Hippolyte Chevallier, the second, on the right, from the family of Paul Constant Chevallier. 

The Family Chevallier


You can view a listing of the marriages in Graffigny-Chemin by clicking here. Find details of the marriage of Paul Constant Chevallier and Anne Marie Richier. Paul was 25 and Anne 18 at the time of their marriage in 1847. Read about Charles Hippolyte Chevallier and Elise Victoire Jounieaux, his wife. Charles did not marry until  1876 at the age of 60. His wife Elise was then 32.


There is a third brother Claude Alexandre Chevallier. He is the oldest of the three. His marriage to Marie Geneviève Royer is recorded in 1838.