Description of Historic Place

Pointe-à-Jacquot is the location of the Catholic cemetery, the site of the former Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church, the Auberge Le Vieux Presbytère de Bouctouche, and the Convent of the Immaculate Conception, which became the Kent Museum in 1977. These are all located at the end of Du Couvent Road in the eastern part of the municipality of Bouctouche.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of Pointe-à-Jacquot as a Local Historic Place lies in its history, strewn with events, gatherings, individuals, buildings, and foundations of a religious, educational, or economic nature. The Convent of the Immaculate Conception, the former manse, and the Catholic cemetery remain on Pointe-à-Jacquot as witnesses of one of the most beautiful architectural ensembles in Acadia from the late 19th century when the site also included the Saint-Jean Baptist Church. This beautiful Gothic Revival church was destroyed by fire in 1921. An impressive stone church was later rebuilt on a different site. The convent and the manse, built in 1880, were designed under the guidance of Father François-Xavier-Joseph Michaud, the first resident pastor for this parish community. Built by Léon Léger, the former Convent of the Immaculate Conception, a Provincial Historic Site, is a good example of Second Empire architecture encompassing a Gothic Revival chapel. The grounds include a religious statue and gardens. The manse is a good example of Picturesque architecture, the grounds of which include gardens and a grotto. It also features a "Lunenburg Bump" dormer, a distinctly Maritime element. Among the important gatherings held at Pointe-à-Jacquot was the Marian Congress of 1947.

The heritage value of this site also stems from its particular significance in having served as a refuge, circa 1763, for four or five families during “Le Grand Dérangement (the Great Upheaval) of the Acadians. At the end of the 18th century, this point of land was deeded to Jacques Cormier and Julien Collet. Soon after, Jacques Cormier, called Jacquot, deeded his land to the parish, thus bequeathing his nickname to the site.

Source: Kent Museum, 150 Du Couvent Road, Bouctouche, New Brunswick

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements associated with the location of Pointe-à-Jacquot include:
- geographic location of the point near Bouctouche Bay;
- strategic location with access protected by a steep cliff;
- former site of the Saint-Jean-Baptist Church destroyed by fire in 1921.

The character-defining elements of the Catholic cemetery include:
- various tombstones;
- wrought-iron crosses.

The character-defining elements relating to the former Convent of the Immaculate Conception include:
- rectangular two-storey massing;
- Second Empire mansard roof with dormers;
- central main portico with tower;
- clapboard siding;
- cut-stone foundation;
- interior Gothic Revival chapel;
- grounds, including gardens and religious statue.

The character-defining elements relating to the Picturesque-style former manse include:
- rectangular two-storey massing;
- traditional central “Lunenburg Bump” dormer;
- open verandah;
- gable roof with returned eaves;
- brackets under the eaves;
- rectangular windows with simple entablatures;
- clapboard siding;
- corner boards with capitals;
- grounds including gardens and grotto.