Description of Historic Place

Lennon House, the former St. Augustine's Convent and Belcourt Centre, is a large vernacular 3-storey former convent and school located in the heart of the Acadian community of Rustico, Prince Edward Island. The building is adjacent to one of the oldest churches in the province, St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church, as well as a number of other notable historic buildings including the Farmers' Bank of Rustico, the Doucet House and the Barachois Inn - the former Joseph Gallant residence.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the building lies in its close association with the history of the Acadian community of Rustico and its ties with the religious and educational history of the community. The building also has connections with the tourism industry and is currently operated as Lennon House, an addictions and mental health recovery centre.

The building dates from 1932, built by local residents to replace the 1882 St. Augustine Convent and School which was razed by a spectacular fire on a cold and windy February of that same year. Local residents quickly gathered to replace the school so important to them and their community which opened by December 1932.

St. Augustine Convent and School was a boarding and day school, which was the centre of French and English education for students, not only from in the Rustico area, but for many who travelled to receive instruction here. Initially a girls' school, enrolment opened to boys in 1920. It was also home to the Sisters of Notre Dame who provided instruction to the students.

A Grade 11 class was added in 1950 giving it Senior High School status. The small class size translated to excellent student results during the Maritime Board Examinations.

A new Department of Education-built school opened in Rustico in 1963 which provided a larger space for students and teachers.

The Sisters of Notre Dame continued to live at the Convent and it was used as a summer residence for members of visiting Sisters of Notre Dame from across the maritime provinces until 1973 when the building was sold to private ownership.

Ownership of the property changed several times and for a while operated as Belcourt Lodge, a motel and restaurant, by Jack Pound and Joe Jabbour under the company name of J and J Estates.

In 1977, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlottetown purchased the building for use as a Retreat House and Renewal Centre, administered by the Sisters of St. Martha of Charlottetown from 1981 to 2004. The Sisters resided here and assisted with programming. Named Belcourt Spirituality Centre in honour of Rev. George-Antoine Belcourt (1803-1874), St. Augustine parish priest from 1859 to 1869, and under whose influence parishioners built and operated the nearby historic Farmers' Bank, constructed between 1861-1864. The Farmers' Bank of Rustico is nationally and provincially recognized for its heritage value and has been restored as a community museum. Father Belcourt is also celebrated as the owner and possible inventor of the first steam powered automobile in North America. The Roman Catholic Diocese continued to offer retreats and programming at this building until 2017 when the newly constructed Our Lady of Hope Retreat Centre opened in Stanley Bridge.

Sadly, the Belcourt Spirituality Centre was under threat of demolition by its owners and appeared on the 2015 National Trust of Canada's Top Ten Endangered Places. However, in 2017 ownership was transferred to the Lennon House Recovery Centre Inc. which opened in 2020 to provide addiction and mental health recovery services.

More recent updates to the building include a 1980s kitchen and caretaker's living quarters addition on the north elevation and the circa 2020 installation of distinctive yellow vinyl siding over the painted white wood shingles and some new windows inserted in original window openings.

A tangible reminder of the importance of the role religion and education held in the tight-knit Acadian community of Rustico, the former Belcourt Centre continues to be an integral component in the streetscape and landscape of Rustico as a building that has, and continues to provide, important and vital services to Islanders.

Source : Heritage Places files, Dept. of Fisheries, Tourism, Sport & Culture, Charlottetown, PE
File #: 4310-20/L12

Character-Defining Elements

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

- the size and massing of the rectangular building, approximately 84' x 44'
- the wood shingle cladding, now covered in vinyl siding
- the front, east elevation façade symmetrical featuring 9 bay windows in single hung style
- the stringcourse detailing between the first and second storeys
- the stone foundation
- the short mansard roof
- the front enclosed entry porch
- the later addition to the north elevation to house living quarters for the caretaker

Further contributing character-defining elements:

- the setting of the building in the heart of Rustico near St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church, the Barachois Inn (former Joseph Gallant residence), the Farmers' Bank Museum of Rustico, the Doucet House and Rustico Pioneer Cemetery
- the interior original woodwork paneling and doors and layout of individual rooms