Description of Historic Place

St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church sits on the north shore of the Miramichi River at Moody Point, at the mouth of the Bartibog River. The church is adjacent to a parish cemetery which pre-dates the church.

Heritage Value

Located near the site of two earlier Roman Catholic chapels, the present St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Church Provincial Historic Site has served the largely Scots-Catholic population of this Miramichi parish for more than a century and a half. The building was in use as a parish church prior to 1853, when it was blessed by the Right Reverend Thomas Connolly, Bishop of Saint John. The parish cemetery which pre-dates the church signifies that this location existed as a Roman Catholic mission-base for the Miramichi region. The work of prominent early nineteenth century Miramichi builder-architect, William Murray, this wood frame building is one of the earliest and most significant church buildings in northern New Brunswick. It represents a transitional phase in 19th century colonial building forms. The attractive and well proportioned church exhibits both Neo-Classical and Gothic design elements. The transitional influences are seen in the distinctive bell tower, which dominates the entire building and incorporates the pointed arch motif in windows, doors and corner board mouldings on an otherwise Neo-Classical steeple. In addition, its historical association with William Murray increases the church’s significance as a Miramichi landmark. Murray, known throughout the region for his craftsmanship, was responsible for several other outstanding New Brunswick structures. The quality of the workmanship in St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s confirms Murray’s influence, particularly the delicate treatment of the window tracery and the finely executed designs in wood which are evident both on the exterior and in the church interior. Source: New Brunswick Culture and Sport Secretariat, Heritage Branch, Site File # 26.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-Defining Elements of St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Church include: - setting on a commanding site, adjacent the parish cemetery, at Moody Point, on the north shore of the Miramichi River at the mouth of the Bartibog River; Exterior of the main church building as follows: - neo-Classical in spirit, with its gable roof on a rectangular plan erected on a dressed sandstone foundation with a sacristy addition on the east end; - transitional influence to Gothic in the windows with their pointed tops, corner boards and applied moulding forming a pointed arch below the eaves. Bell tower exemplifying the interplay of architectural styles with various Gothic embellishments applied to a square Neo-Classical four-tier frame which extends above the entrance to the church and including: - four finials topping the tower at each corner featuring elaborately carved crockets and pointed arches anchored by a castellated base; - belfry punctuated by eight shuttered openings, two on each of the four sides, surmounted by drop-finials and Gothic corner boards; - stylized version of St. Peter’s cross appearing on each side of the tower, with a pointed arch at the top of each cross; - series of single lancet windows located below with interlacing tracery at the arch; - a series of six-panel doors with Gothic arches serve as entrances into the church at ground level. Interior consisting of: - a large room and back gallery with wainscoting along the painted plaster walls, with a moulded plaster ceiling cornice with circular plaster rosette located in the centre of the composition; - back gallery supported by two turned columns on square bases with fluted pilasters above in the panelled front face of the gallery, in the Neo-classical manner; - original hand-planed box pews with single board plank seats; - original Neo-classical wooden altar built by William Bowie in 1853; - oil painting of the Crucifixion above the alter.