Description
Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church is located in St. Andrew’s on Newfoundland’s west coast. Built in 1912, it is a timber framed wooden church built in the Romanesque style. This designation is confined to the footprint of the church building and bell house.
Statement of Significance
Formal Recognition Type
Registered Heritage Structure
Heritage Value
Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church and Bell House was designated a Registered Heritage Structure by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2001 due to its aesthetic and historic value.
Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church has aesthetic value as an excellent example of the Romanesque style of architecture employed in a rural setting. While the main elements of the Romanesque are preserved, such as rounded arches, the design is essentially simplified. For instance, the church is constructed of wood rather than stone and the layout itself is simplified. The general three-level pattern of the arcade, triforium and clerestory is preserved but simplified. These simplifications represent the rural setting in which the church is set. The church is constructed mainly of local fir and other local materials donated by the parishioners. The church was built by parishioners and the fact that it remains standing over 100 years later stands as a testament to the quality of craftsmanship during this period.
The grounds of Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church feature a bell house that was built in the 1940 and houses a bell that is over 100 years old. This bell house is valuable as a rare church feature. Most churches feature a bell tower as a part of the church, a separate bell house is a rarity in Newfoundland.
Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church has historic value for its association with the MacIssac and MacNeill families. While the church was built by members of the congregation, two people in particular are noted as having made an important contribution to the construction of the church; Steve MacIssac and Dan MacNeill. The MacIssac and MacNeill families are credited as the first settlers in St. Andrew’s. These families were of Scottish ancestry and arrived from Nova Scotia in the mid-19th century.
Source: Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador property file “St. Andrew’s – Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church and Bell House – FPT 1717”
Character Defining Elements
All elements that define the building’s Romanesque design including:
-wooden construction;
-number of storeys;
-steep gable roof;
-combination of wood shingle and narrow wood clapboard cladding;
-wooden corner boards;
-spires on main façade of church;
-rounded apse at rear of church;
-size, style, trim and placement of wooden windows;
-rounded arch wooden window trims with keystone motif;
-wooden transom window over doorways;
-wooden arcade, triforium and clerestorey windows;
-stained glass;
-wooden doors with with glass inserts;
-size, style, trim and placement of exterior wooden doors;
-interior woodwork;
-dimension, location and orientation of building.
All those vernacular design features of the bell house, including:
-building height, massing and dimensions;
-placement of bell;
-location of bell house in relation to the church; and,
-traditional wood construction.
Location and History
Community
St. Andrew's
Municipality
Not specified (Newfoundland)
Construction (circa)
1912 - 1912
Style
Rectangular Short Façade
Location
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