Description of Historic Place

Located on Centrale Street in the Village of Saint-Hilaire, on the banks of the Saint John River between the school and the church, the Saint-Hilaire Presbytery is made of brick and has an aluminum roof. It is a two-storey late Queen Anne Revival building with a tower and a large wrap-around veranda.

Heritage Value

Built in 1930, the Saint-Hilaire Presbytery is designated a local historic place for its association with Maxime Albert, its importance in the community, and its architecture.

The land was donated by Maxime Albert, a local bootlegging baron during Prohibition. Mr. Albert was an important person in the village, having been a prosperous businessman, mainly through liquor smuggling. He generously conveyed the land to build the rectory. Its location between the school and the church established a very important institutional core in the village.

Made of red brick like the two buildings around it, a concern for solidity and prestige is visible in these buildings. The rectory is a good example of late Queen Anne Revival residential brick architecture. The style is evident in such elements as the tower, the asymmetrical massing, and the hipped roof.

Source: Madawaska Planning Commission – Register of Historic Places, File 1.4 "Presbytère de Saint-Hilaire"

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements associated with the Saint-Hilaire Presbytery include:
- two-storey asymmetrical massing;
- rear wing;
- the pediment on the second storey of the front facade;
- aluminum hipped roof;
- corner tower with a “witch's hat” style roof;
- exterior brick walls;
- open wrap-around veranda;
- regular fenestration of rectangular windows;
- its location on the site donated by Maxime Albert.