Description of Historic Place

As one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in PEI, St. Augustine's stands as a landmark in the village of South Rustico. The wooden structure is predominately white with decorative gothic elements outlined in black. The registration includes the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The church was begun in the Fall of 1838 under the direction of Bishop Bernard MacDonald. The building is significant as the oldest parish church in the Diocese of Charlottetown. It also served as pro-cathedral for the diocese until a building was erected in Charlottetown. The building materials were local and the work was completed by local Acadian craftsmen. It replaced two former churches which had been built in 1795 and 1806. The three tower bells were cast in London, England and purchased during the tenure of Father Belcourt (1859-1869) who also founded the nearby Farmers' Bank of Rustico in 1864. An interior scene of the church was featured in a drawing by Robert Harris (1849-1919) showing Acadian nuns at prayer.

Source: PEI Heritage Advisory Committee Files

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the church is embodied in the following Gothic Revial style elements:
- the multi-paned, paired Gothic windows
- the quatrefoil motif of the decorative woodwork
- the central entrance tower on the front elevation which appears to have been moved from the side elevation sometime after 1880
- the symmetrical placement of the windows and doors
- the gabled roof with eave returns
- the corner finials and central cross on the top of the tower