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St. Michael's Museum

10 Howard Street, Miramichi, New Brunswick, E1N, Canada

Formally Recognized: 2006/01/26

St. Michael's Museum, front view, 2005.; City of Miramichi
St. Michael's Museum - Front elevation
Oblique view of St. Michael's Museum with St. Michael's Basilica in the background, 2005.; City of Miramichi
St. Michael's Museum - Oblique view
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Other Name(s)

Hotel Dieu Hospital
St. Michael's Museum
Hôpital Hotel Dieu
St. Michael's Parish Rectory
Presbytère de la paroisse de St. Michael's
St. Michael's Male Academy
Académie d'hommes de St. Michael's

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1846/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2007/09/26

Statement of Significance

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.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

New Brunswick

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (NB)

Recognition Statute

Local Historic Places Program

Recognition Type

Municipal Register of Local Historic Places

Recognition Date

2006/01/26

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

1869/01/01 to 1870/01/01

Theme - Category and Type

Building Social and Community Life
Religious Institutions
Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design
Building Social and Community Life
Education and Social Well-Being

Function - Category and Type

Current

Leisure
Museum
Commerce / Commercial Services
Shop or Wholesale Establishment
Leisure
Library

Historic

Religion, Ritual and Funeral
Religious Facility or Place of Worship
Education
Special or Training School
Health and Research
Hospital or Other Health Care Institution

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

Father John Sweeney

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

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

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

795

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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