Description of Historic Place

The Roman Catholic Parish Cemetery is a small cemetery located on a quiet, one way street in the community of Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador. The designation is confined to the boundaries of the cemetery delineated by a fence.

Heritage Value

The Roman Catholic Parish Cemetery has been designated a Municipal Heritage Site because it has spiritual value. This cemetery, located next to the Rising Sun Loyal Orange Lodge, dates to circa 1799, and was no longer used by 1856. With headstones almost completely eroded by time and weather, this ancient burial ground still commands respect and an air of reverence. Huge markers reveal weathered, elaborate homage’s to those interred in the cemetery grounds, but today they stand precariously among the heaving ground and foliage. A single sign stands near the gateway which simply says, “Heritage Site, Oldest Known Grave Stone, 1802”. The largeness of the headstones and their shapes and designs reveal the importance placed on this cemetery by the Roman Catholic community of 19th century Harbour Grace, and its subsequent designation as a municipal heritage site shows the importance of this cemetery to the present community.

Source: Passed by a motion of Harbour Grace Town Council, held January 10, 2006

Character-Defining Elements

All those elements that define the early nineteenth century cemetery, including:
-all remaining grave markers, including their sizes and shapes;
-organic pattern of graves;and
-location, orientation and dimensions.