Description of Historic Place

St. Michael's Museum is a one and a half storey Greek Revival building built in 1846. It is located on the grounds of St. Michael's Basilica on Howard Street in Miramichi.

Heritage Value

St. Michael’s Museum is designated a Local Historic Place for its former use as a rectory, for its importance to education, for being the first Hotel-Dieu Hospital and for its current function as a religious and genealogical centre.

The historic value of St. Michael's Museum lies in its initial function as St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church rectory. It was the home of Father Sweeney, its builder, followed by Father Vericker and Bishop Barry.

St. Michael's Museum is also recognized for its educational significance. During Bishop Barry's residency, the building also functioned as St. Michael's Male Academy. This academy would become the cradle of St. Thomas University.

St. Michael’s Museum is also recognized for being the first Hotel Dieu Hospital in 1869-1870 when four Sisters of the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph arrived to the Miramichi at the request of the Bishop to open a hospital.

Heritage value of St. Michael's Museum also lies in its more recent mandate of providing religious and genealogical resources to the public. Since 1979, when the St. Michael's Museum Association took over the building, it has been open to the public. It houses a religious book store, a genealogical research service and archival library.

Source: City of Miramichi, Heritage Office, Beaverbrook House, Site File# 05-58

Character-Defining Elements

The exterior character-defining elements that describe St. Michael's Museum include:
- rectangular one-and-a-half-storey form and massing;
- plank construction;
- well-balanced 6/6 window placement;
- central entrance with transom above;
- clad in shingles;
- brackets and large corner boards.