Description of Historic Place

The Sacred Heart Parish House is a well preserved Queen Anne Revival style parochial house prominently located on Main Street in Alberton. It features an asymmetrical facade with a dominant three-storey tower with octagonal roof. A large verandah wraps around the front. The registration includes the house and its lot.

Heritage Value

The parochial house is valued for its well preserved Queen Anne Revival architectural style; for its association with the history of the Sacred Heart Parish; and for its contribution to the streetscape.

The elaborate house was built in 1894 during the service of Rev. Alfred E. Burke, who was then the parish priest. Father Burke had been born in Georgetown, PEI, the son of Captain James Burke and Mary Moar. He attended St. Dunstan's College and Laval University in Montreal, graduating in 1885. He was ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Church by Cardinal Taschereau - the first Canadian to be a cardinal. After working for several years with the Bishop of Charlottetown, he was appointed to the Sacred Heart Parish in Alberton, where he laboured with great reward and appreciation from 1888 to 1908.

Father Burke was familiar with the popular Queen Anne Revival style of architecture in St. Paul, Minnesota and he advised the architect, George Baker, of Summerside on aspects of the design. The builder was George Gard and Schurman, Clark, and Company were the contractors. The new residence cost $3500.

The parish began as a mission in the 1860s. The first church was begun in 1877 and completed by 1879 with Father S.T. Phelan as the first priest. This building stood until a fire destroyed it in 1968. It was replaced by the current modern design in 1972.

Today, the parochial house is a fine example of its type and is a valued part of the community of Alberton.

Source: Culture and Heritage Division, PEI Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8
File #: 4310-20/A17

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements which reflect the Queen Anne Revival heritage value of the house include:

- the asymmetrical facade
- the hipped roof with multiple dormers and gables
- the turret with octagonal roof which is a focal point of the building
- the wrap-around verandah with turned posts and balustrade
- the contrasting wood shingle patterns
- the decorative scroll design in the pediments of the dormers
- the large brick chimneys
- the contribution of the house to its streetscape