Formal Recognition Type

Registered Heritage Structure

Heritage Value

Our Lady of Mercy Roman Catholic Church was designated a Registered Heritage Structure by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1997 because it has aesthetic, historic, and cultural.

Our Lady of Mercy Roman Catholic Church has aesthetic value as a remarkable essay in Renaissance Revival architecture with a superbly preserved interior. It is one of the largest wooden churches in the province and was designed by noted Newfoundland architect William F. Butler. Standing at 35 metres tall, this impressive church boasts a front façade with corner columns topped with cupolas and finials. Balance is achieved with a central tower bracketed by symmetrical scrolls. A large central cupola with cresting tops off the front façade. Trifoil, quatrefoil and multifoil windows can be seen on several facades, while stained glass and arched labels are prominent window features. Multiple gables add dimension and interest while the simple, narrow wooden clapboard attests to the use of local materials on an ornate facade.

The elaborate interior is a result of local craftsmanship, gifts to the church, and imported religious paraphernalia. The parishioners imported the wood for the interior from mainland Canada, with the ornate designs being completed by local craftsmen. The same craftsmen also made the pews. Many statues have been donated to the church by residents and the pulpit was given in 1925 by St. Patrick’s Church in St. John’s.

Our Lady of Mercy Roman Catholic Church has historic value because of its associations with W. F. Butler and Father James Joy. William F. Butler was a renowned St. John’s architect who was also responsible for Job Kean’s Store in Brookfield and Bartra House and the Commercial Cable Company Building in St. John’s – along with many other buildings. Butler and his wife were among the 94 passengers and crew who were drowned in the infamous sinking of the S.S. Florizel in 1918. Father James Joy guided the construction of the church and was the first resident priest on the Port au Port Peninsula. He was minister from 1900 until 1933. In addition to his efforts in constructing Our Lady of Mercy Church he was known as a social reformer and leader. Joy became involved in a dispute in 1904 that eventually led to a repealing of a convention in existence since the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 which had denied Newfoundland full sovereignty over the west coast of the island. Father Joy was also given credit for starting a Newfoundland smelt trade with the United States in 1918.

Our Lady of Mercy Roman Catholic Church has cultural value because the church was built to serve an expected population boom on the eastern end of the Port au Port Peninsula. The impetus for construction was the opening of a limestone quarry in nearby Aguathuna by the Dominion Iron and Steel Company. The company helped fund some of the work and provided machinery and free labour. The work was not completed until 1925, but the 11 year construction period allowed the massive church to be completed debt-free. When the quarry opened local residents expected the area to develop into a major centre. Residents also expected every able-bodied man and youth old enough to work to donate one week of work per year to the project.

Source: Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador property file “Port au Port – Our Lady of Mercy Roman Catholic Church – FPT 1604”

Character Defining Elements

All elements that define the building’s Renaissance Revival design including:
-arched wooden windows and doors;
-wooden trims and finishes;
-exterior narrow wooden clapboard;
-wooden corner columns with cupolas and finials;
-central cupola with cresting;
-wooden foil windows;
-stained glass;
-wooden arched labels;
-multiple gables;
-ornate interior;
-crosses, finials;
-location, orientation, dimensions of building.

Community

Port au Port West

Municipality

Town of Port au Port West-Aguathuna-Felix Cove

Civic Address

101 Main Street

Construction (circa)

1914 - 1925

Builder

Henry Felix, Tom Lafitte, William F. Butler

Style

Rectangular Short Façade