[1] Prior to the 19th century, the hamlet of Ménilmontant depended on the parish church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Belleville.

It continued to grow, so construction of a larger church started in 1863, designed by the architect Louis-Jean-Antoine Herét (1821-1899).

[citation needed] The interior decoration is predominantly neo-Romanesque, presented in the grand scale of earlier Gothic cathedrals.

In addition to the classical elements, the interior has one unusual modern feature: the iron ribs supporting the ceiling vaults are fully exposed.

The narthex at the entrance of the church is lined by very tall classical columns topped with Corinthian capitals, with very elaborate traditional sculptures of leaves and flowers, as well as small, sculptured heads of men and women supporting the bases of the rounded arches.

[1] A triforium or passageway is located above the side aisles, and above are bays containing large stained glass windows with geometric designs.

The statue of the Virgin Mary on the facade and the tympanum sculpture of a Pieta scene over the central portal are the work of Joseph Tournois.

In the end, the intended positive division was never built because it was impossible to route the key mechanism from the console to the pipes.