Description of Historic Place

Our Lady of Angels / Presentation Convent in Placentia was built in 1864 by the Roman Catholic Church for the Presentation Sisters. The Our Lady of the Angels Convent is a two and one half storey, stone building with a steep gable roof. This designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Our Lady of Angels / The Presentation Convent in Placentia is designated as a Registered Heritage Structure due to its architectural, historic, cultural and environmental values.

Our Lady of Angels / Presentation Convent is architecturally valuable as an example of a stone construction in Placentia. This is the only remaining stone building in the community and was built mainly out of locally quarried stone. Despite the age of the building much of the exterior remains intact and this stands as a testament to the quality of construction and materials during this period.

This building also shows influence of the French architectural style in the keystone motif around the windows and the quoining at the corners of the building. These elements are representative of the influence of the French on the growth of the community of Placentia.

Our Lady of Angels / Presentation Convent is historically valuable due to its associations with the Presentation Sisters. The Presentation Sisters of the Roman Catholic Church played an important role in communities across Newfoundland. This convent stands as an indication of the longstanding relationship between the convent the education and religion of the community.

The name of the convent, “Our Lady of the Angels” is also historically valuable as it stands as a memorial to the Franciscan friars of Quebec who established the first monastery in Newfoundland in 1689.

The Our Lady of Angels / Presentation Convent is environmentally valuable for its location in the community of Placentia. The location of the convent in the Town Square is indicative of the importance of the church in the community. Furthermore, the Convent is the last standing structure in a five building ecclesiastical complex located in the Town Square.

Source: Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, unnumbered property file, Placentia - Our Lady of Angels / Presentation Convent

Character-Defining Elements

All elements that define the building's 19th century vernacular stone design including:
-stone construction;
-use of local materials;
-keystone trim around windows;
-quoining at corners of building;
-decorative use of alternating shingle colors;
-building height, massing, dimensions; and,
-location of convent within community.