Formal Recognition Type

City of St. John's Heritage Building, Structure, Land or Area

Heritage Value

Mount St. Francis Monastery is designated and municipal heritage building by the City of St. John’s because of its aesthetic values.

Mount St. Francis Monastery is architecturally valuable as an example of Gothic Revival architecture in an institutional building. This style of architecture was common for monasteries built during this period. According to local tradition, Mount St. Francis Monastery is modelled after a monastery in Wexford, Ireland. The Monastery employs many Gothic elements including steeply peaked dormers, arched windows and doors, and quoining on the corners. The double bay windows topped with a steep gable roof flanking each side of the main entrance create a turret-like look for the front façade of the building. Mount St. Francis Monastery is environmentally valuable for its location in St. John’s. The Monastery is located in the centre of the city and is one of a larger number of buildings that create a complex of ecclesiastical buildings in this area.

Source: City of St. John’s Council Meeting, 2000/04/17

Character Defining Elements

All those elements that are representative of the Gothic Revival style of architecture, including:

-pointed arch windows, quoining etc.

-window style and placement;

-stone construction;

-building height, two-and-one-half storey construction, roof shape and dimensions; and,

-bay windows with steep gabled roof on front façade.

All those features which speak to the environmental values of the historic place, including:

-building setback on the lot; and,

-positioning of the building within the St. John’s Ecclesiastical District.

Community

St. John's

Municipality

City of St. John's

Civic Address

004 Merrymeeting Road

Construction (circa)

1877 - 1880

Style

Rectangular Long Façade