Description of Historic Place

The building at 778 Queen Street East, known as Precious Blood Cathedral, is situated on Queen Street East between Hynes Street and Pilgrim Street in Sault Ste. Marie. The red-grey sandstone building was designed in the Gothic Revival style and constructed in 1875.

The aesthetic and scenic character of the property as well as the historical, architectural, aesthetic and scenic character and condition of the exterior are protected by an Ontario Heritage Trust conservation easement. The property is also designated by the Municipality of Sault Ste. Marie under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law No. 81-18).

Heritage Value

Located on Queen Street, Sault Ste Marie's main street, Precious Blood Cathedral is a prominent local landmark. At the time of its construction, its tower was a striking feature which dominated the skyline of the city. The tower remains a distinctive part of Sault Ste. Marie. There is a large white marble statue of a Jesuit figure in front of the church. It was placed on the site in 1925 to commemorate the Jesuit martyrs who died establishing the Catholic faith in this region.

Precious Blood Cathedral is the oldest surviving church in Sault Ste. Marie, and is historically significant for its association with Jesuit missionary activity in the Lake Superior region. Sault Ste. Marie's location on an inland waterway made it an important meeting place for Aboriginal people, and later, explorers, fur traders, and missionaries. It became an established settlement of First Nations, Métis, French and English people. The first Jesuit chapel and missionary post in this area was built on the American side of Sault Ste. Marie in 1668. By 1689, the Jesuit missionary posts in the Sault Ste. Marie area were abandoned due to hostilities from the Iroquois. Jesuit missionaries re-settled in the area until the 1840s. As a result of the 1855 opening of the ship canal along the American side of St. Mary's River, Sault Ste. Marie's commercial significance expanded. The current building, originally named Church of the Sacred Heart, was built in 1875 to replace an earlier log chapel. Much of the stone for the church was from the excavation of the ship canal. Town citizens and members of the parish donated their time to help build the church. In 1887 a branch line of the Canadian Pacific Railway linking Sault Ste. Marie with Sudbury was built. This brought in large numbers of workers and dramatically increased the population of the town, necessitating the expansion of the church. Starting in 1902, services at the Sacred Heart were given in English, as a new French language parish, St. Ignatius, was formed. In 1904 the new Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie was created, and in 1905, the Church of the Sacred Heart was dedicated as the cathedral church. In 1913 the Jesuits who served Sacred Heart were replaced by a member of the secular clergy. In 1936, the parish was renamed Precious Blood.

Precious Blood Cathedral is significant for its simplified Gothic Revival style. The cathedral's style, form, and materials were influenced by its remote setting. At the time of its construction, there were no railroads servicing the town, and the builders had to use materials available nearby. The red and grey sandstone is random rubble brought to courses. The quoins are made of the same material, but in larger stones. The nave is divided into five bays, each with a simple lancet window. On the ground level, the tower has entrance doors on all three of the exterior walls. The windows on the tower's lower level are similar to the windows on the nave, and the windows on the upper portion of the tower have wood louvers and quatrefoil tracery in the arch heads. The tower's pinnacle has dormered windows and projecting corner spires. The single nave, tall lancet windows, and imposing tower are all characteristic of the Gothic Revival style. In 1901, a sanctuary and transepts were added to the north wall. The stone used to build these additions is similar in colour to the nave, but is coursed randomly. The transepts and sanctuary are each covered with a gable roof. Each transept has one large stained glass lancet window at the end. The north wall of the sanctuary has a large rose window with ornate wood tracery and a small louvered window at the peak of the gable. In 1936, a vestry was added to the north wall of the east transept. This addition is also made of sandstone, with a flat roof and lancet windows that are slightly shorter and wider than those of the original building.

Source: OHT Easement files

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of Precious Blood Cathedral include its:
- association with Jesuit martyrs and Jesuit missionary activity in the Lake Superior region
- association with the excavation of the St. Mary's River ship canal
- association with Sault Ste. Marie's increased commercial significance and population growth in the second half of the 19th century
- association with the creation of the new Catholic Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie.
- simplified Gothic Revival style architecture that was influenced by its remote setting
- local red and grey sandstone
- random rubble masonry brought to courses
- red and grey sandstone quoins
- five-bay nave
- lancet windows
- imposing and visually striking tower
- dormered windows and projecting corner spires on the tower's pinnacle
- 1901 addition of a sanctuary and transepts to the north wall
- large stained glass windows on the transepts
- large rose window with ornate wood tracery on the north wall of the sanctuary
- 1936 addition of a vestry to the north wall of the east transept
- location on Sault Ste Marie's main street
- prominent position in the city's skyline
- setback position from the street
- 1925 statue in front of the church, commemorating the Jesuit martyrs who died establishing Catholic religion in Sault Ste. Marie