St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church

Provincial Registered Heritage Place
2002-01-15

	2190 Church Road, Route 243 South Rustico   Construction Date: 1838   Latitude: 46.42347 Longitude: -63.28452
Place Description Why is this place important? Special Characteristics Place Description As one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in PEI, St. Augustine's stands as a landmark in the village of South Rustico. The wooden structure is predominately white with decorative gothic elements outlined in black. The registration includes the footprint of the building. Why is this place important? The church was begun in the autumn of 1838 under the direction of Bishop Bernard MacDonald. The building is significant as the oldest parish church in the Diocese of Charlottetown. It also served as pro-cathedral for the diocese until a building was erected in Charlottetown. The building materials were local and the work was completed by local Acadian craftsmen. It is believed that Island architect, Isaac Smith, designed the church. The contractor was Hilaire Arsenault from Barachois, New Brunswick. The first Mass was held at Christmas in 1838. During its construction, the Royal Gazette newspaper called it "the largest building on the Island." It replaced two former churches which had been built in 1795 and 1806. The three tower bells were cast in London, England and purchased during the tenure of Father Belcourt (1859-1869) who also founded the nearby Farmers' Bank of Rustico in 1864. An interior scene of the church was featured in a drawing by Robert Harris (1849-1919) showing Acadian nuns at prayer. An engraving of the church also appeared in Meacham's Historical Atlas of PEI in 1880. Today, the church is a valued symbol of a vibrant Acadian culture in the area. Source: PEI Heritage Advisory Committee Files, File # 4310-20/S4 Special Characteristics The heritage value of the church is embodied in the following Gothic Revival style elements: - the multi-paned, paired Gothic windows - the quatrefoil motif of the decorative woodwork - the central entrance tower on the front elevation which appears to have been moved from the side elevation sometime after 1880 - the symmetrical placement of the windows and doors - the gabled roof with eave returns - the corner finials and central cross on the top of the tower