Description of Historic Place

Our Lady of Assumption
Parish (1908) is a handsome buff brick church situated dramatically at the head of the main street in
the historically-Belgian village of Mariapolis in the R.M. of Lorne. The municipal designation applies
to the building and its spacious grounds.

Heritage Value

Our Lady of Assumption Parish is
a fine example of a medium-sized village church, the architectural highlight of the community. The church
is noted especially for its exceptional craftsmanship manifested in the eye-catching shingled front gable
and tower and particularly outstanding brickwork. In addition to the ornament on the projecting central
tower bay, the elegant brickwork is used to carry out details of the widely-used Gothic Revival style,
including the drip mouldings over the original pointed-arched wood windows and the buttresses on the
tower. The church interior has a high level of physical integrity, with the basilica plan retaining many
original features, including the triple barrel-vaulted ceiling, Tuscan columns separating nave and side
aisles; and various fine wooden features and details throughout. This important village landmark was
in use from 1910 and remains in active use today, recalling the strong and enduring Roman Catholic heritage
of the community.

Source: R.M. of Lorne By-law No. 1774/13, 12 November 2013

Character-Defining Elements

Key
elements that define the site character of Our Lady of Assumption Parish include:
- its open village
setting at the head of the main street in Mariapolis
- placement of the church on its site with main
doors facing northwest

Key elements that define the exterior heritage character of the church include:
-
the basic rectangular form with a medium-pitched roof, a projecting tower bay in the centre of the entrance
front, a polygonal apse, and a small gable-roofed shed entrance on the south-west side
- the buff brick
walls, squared granite foundation laid in even courses, with pink-and-grey granite datestone; the brick
buttresses at the base of the tower, and the decorative brickwork with Tyndall limestone accents on the
facade
- the medium-pitched, shingled roof
- the shingled front gable and tower, with alternating bands
of standard and diamond-shaped shingles, painted in contrasting dark and white stripes; the decorative
verge board; the bellcast eaves where the shingled portion meets the brick base of the tower
- the square
tower, with pointed spire and openwork balustrade above the belfry
- the fenestration, with pointed openings;
the windows and their simple glazing pattern with operable central panels; the pointed front door opening

Key
elements that define the interior heritage character of the church include:
- the organization of the
space in a basilica plan with wide central nave and narrow aisles and polygonal apse with raised dais;
rear gallery with narthex beneath; the triple barrel vaulted ceiling; the simple mouldings at the springing
point of each vault
- the simple white Tuscan columns supporting the vaults
- the varnished interior
woodwork, including the gallery and its balustrade, unpainted floor, simple window and door casings,
staircase to the gallery, and fir panelling and pillars supporting the gallery, etc.
- the original wood
interior doors from the porch, with glass panels; unpainted wood floors, etc.
- the ecclesiastical fittings,
including the wooden confessional and pews; small metal font in the narthex, and painted Stations of
the Cross with architectural frames in the Gothic revival style, etc.