Description of Historic Place

St. Andrew's Chapel is a Neo-Classical style church with Georgian elements and is located off St. Peters Road in St. Andrew's, Prince Edward Island overlooking the Hillsborough River.

Heritage Value

St. Andrew's Chapel is valued for its age, as an excellent example of Neo-Classical style architecture, its very good condition, and its historical associations with the early history of Roman Catholicism and education in Prince Edward Island, and with Bishop Angus Bernard MacEachern (1759-1835), the first Bishop of the Diocese of Charlottetown.

Bishop MacEachern's family emigrated from Scotland to PEI in 1772 along with Captain John MacDonald's Glenaladale settlers aboard the "Alexander". Thirteen year old Angus remained behind for religious instruction, first in Scotland and later Spain where he was ordained into the priesthood in 1787. Following mission work in the Scottish Highlands, he joined his family in Savage Harbour, PEI in 1790 along with 230 Scots settlers. MacEachern ministered to Scots, Irish and Acadian settlers for many years across PEI, and through large parts of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Magdalene Island travelling long distances often in difficult circumstances. Following years of lobbying to the Quebec Diocese, the Diocese of Charlottetown was established in 1829 and MacEachern was named its first Bishop. In 1831, he opened his home as a college or preparatory school to train young Island men for the priesthood. The school was a precursor to St. Dunstan's College which later evolved into the University of Prince Edward Island.

St. Andrew's Chapel dates from 1804-1806 making it the oldest church building in the province. It was built to Quebec Bishop Peter Denault's specifications by local carpenters and joiners William Carroll, Colin MacEachern and others. Father Angus Bernard MacEachern (1759-1835) held mass here. When a larger replacement church was built, St. Andrew's Chapel was moved to Charlottetown in 1862 -- amazingly by capstan & logs, 120 horses, and 500 men hauling it down the frozen Hillsborough River. The Chapel became part of St. Joseph's Convent and School at Rochfort Square. Notably, Thomas D'Arcy MacGee lectured there on the literature of Robert Burns and Thomas Moore in 1864. The church was rededicated as a chapel for the school in 1871.

In 1987 the structure was heavily damaged by arson. Fire spread up the walls and an explosion destroyed much of the roof. In 1988, the Friends of St. Andrew's formed and arranged for the building to be returned to St. Andrew's close to its original location -- this time by flat bed truck. A national Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque was placed and dedicated to the Bishop MacEachern near the Chapel. The Friends group restored and reconstructed the Chapel and maintain it to host musical events and lectures. From 1988-1990 the building received a concrete foundation, wooden windows, and shingles following the roof restoration. A front porch and rear vestry were also added. The original wood frame has been left exposed in places to reveal the birch bark used as both a windbreak and barrier/insulation. Bishop MacEachern's remains are interred in a nearby crypt south of the Chapel.

The Friends of St. Andrew's Chapel were awarded Heritage Awards by the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation in 1998 and 1999 for their efforts in restoring this outstanding building.
St. Andrew's Chapel continues to be an important visual landmark in its community and as a symbol of the Catholic faith in Prince Edward Island.

Source : Heritage Places files, Department of Economic Growth, Tourism & Culture, Charlottetown, PE
File #: 4310-20/S50

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the chapel is shown in the following character-defining elements:

- the overall massing of the structure
- the simple gabled roofline
- the wood shingle cladding
- the wood shingle roof
- the cornerboards
- the eave returns
- the front porch with eave returns and arched multi-paned windows, with fanlights
- the fanlight above the front door
- the size and placement of the rows of tall multi-paned round-headed windows on the first storey and smaller round-headed windows near the eaves

Additional contributing character-defining elements of the place:

- its serene location in a wooded lot overlooking the Hillsborough River
- the proximity of the mortuary chapel and resting place of Bishop Angus Bernard MacEachern, and St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Cemetery, the original site of the chapel
- the nearby Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque honouring Bishop Angus Bernard MacEachern, designated in 1968 as a person of national historic significance