Description of Historic Place

Paroisse St. Jacques D’Albertville, also known as St. James Roman Catholic Church, is a Municipal Heritage Property located in the centre of the Village of Albertville. The 1922 church is a lofty, wood-frame structure with a central tower and 46-metre steeple.

Heritage Value

Paroisse St. Jacques D’Albertville, commonly known as St. James Roman Catholic Church, is of heritage value as the place of worship for its congregation since its completion in 1922. The congregation dates back to 1910 when the mission church known as St. Jacques d’Henribourg was established in the nearby hamlet of Henribourg. In 1918 the parish of St. James was established and it was decided to build the present church in Albertville. The church has been the hub and focal point of the Village of Albertville since it was completed and has made the village a centre for Roman Catholic culture in the area. The church served to attract the Sisters of the Child Jesus to Albertville who maintained a significant presence in the community from 1935 to 1975, establishing a convent and providing educational instruction at the school.

This property is also of heritage value for the architecture of the church. The defining feature of the church is its spire which rises to 46 metres and can be seen for many kilometres in each direction. The gable-roof church with central tower and steeple is further defined by its Gothic-arch windows and openings and overall lofty form. The church was built of locally-sawn lumber that was hauled from the nearby village of Weirdale. The church was designed by Thomas Raymond, a prominent architect in Quebec City who was responsible for many residential, commercial and ecclesiastical commissions in that city. Today, the church stands as the dominant landmark in the village.

Source:

Village of Albertville Bylaw No. 1/92.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of Paroisse St. Jacques D’Albertville resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements of the building related to its architecture, such as its wood-frame construction, rectangular and symmetrical form, symmetrical fenestration with Gothic-arch windows, central tower with metal cornice, tower doorways with Gothic-arch transom lights, and a metal-clad steeple and spire containing Gothic-arch openings and a metal cross finial;
-those contextual elements of the property which make it a community landmark, such as its prominent, elevated, central location within the village;
-those elements of the property associated with its use as a place of worship, such as its open interior space.