A product of the Irish Catholic community in Halifax, the Gothic Revival church was founded in 1843, with this church having been built in 1883, His Grace Archbishop Cornelius O’Brien laying the corner stone on August 8th of that year.
The congregation, when initially formed, met for service in a stable owned by Michael Egan at the southwest corner of Gerrish and Gottingen Streets. In 1845 the congregation moved into a former Dissenters Meeting House on Brunswick Street that had been used as the Anglican Garrison Chapel. This building, with a school added in the basement, served the congregation until the construction of the present church building, erected on the same site.
Designed by well known local architect Henry Peters, the brick and stone building was given Gothic windows throughout, including the bell tower. The church actually has seven spires, one on each of the front buttressed corners of the nave, one on each corner of the bell tower, these four surrounding a tall central spire. The tower is centered on the front of the building and serves as the entrance to the central of the three bays of the church. Identical entrances to the left and right serve the two outboard bays.
Recognized as a provincial heritage site on June 16, 1989, text from the Historic Places Canada page for the church is included below.
St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church is located on Brunswick Street in the north end of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
This Gothic Revival style brick and stone church was built in 1883-85 and is an impressive landmark with its hundred and seventy-five foot spire and prominent location right at the street line. The building and property are included in the provincial designation.
HERITAGE VALUE
St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church is valued as an outstanding example of Gothic Revival style architecture and because of its historic role as the church for the Irish Roman Catholic population of north end Halifax.
St. Patrick's is a symbol of the accomplishments and contributions of the Irish Catholic population of Halifax to the history and development of the city. Having fought to overcome earlier legal and social restrictions, Halifax Catholics had increased in number and influence. The growth and distribution of the Irish population in Halifax was reflected in the founding of St. Patrick's parish and the construction of the original church in 1843-45. Sustained growth necessitated its replacement in 1883 by the current church.
St. Patrick's Church is closely linked with the man who oversaw its construction, Archbishop Cornelius O'Brien. O'Brien's accomplishments during his tenure as Archbishop were considerable and many of his activities had a profound social impact at the local, regional, and national levels. Personally involved with the project, O'Brien is credited with hastening its completion. Construction began in the spring of 1883 and the church was completed in late 1885.
St. Patrick's Church is an outstanding example of Gothic Revival style architecture which became very popular in Canada, beginning in the 1840s.
St. Patrick's is a rectangular red brick structure with trim in Nova Scotian granite, a steeply pitched roof, a five-sided apse, and a slightly steeped, hundred and seventy-five foot central tower.
The symmetrical main elevation is divided into three bays, each with a double entrance under a pointed arch which springs from Corinthian columns. The tympana contain bar tracery, forming a quatrefoil design in the side arches and a cinquefoil pattern in the centre. Above each entrance is an arched window divided by bar tracery into lancets topped with a trefoil design on the sides and octafoil in the centre. There is a strong vertical emphasis to the façade, enhanced by the pointed arches, the height of the tower and spire, the use of steeped buttresses, and the soaring finials which top the side buttresses and mark the four corners of the tower at the springing point of the spire.
The interior of the building has undergone significant change throughout its history. For example, the Halifax explosion of December 1917 caused extensive damage. It blew out all the windows on the north and some of the windows on the south side of the church, and severely damaged the roof, sacristy, two altars, and some statuary. Following the Second World War, further alterations were made including the removal of the main altar, the construction of two grottos in the entrance of the church and the moving of the gallery stairs.
St. Patrick's was designed and built by the well-known Halifax builder, Henry Peters, and the architect in his employ, George Jost.
The replacement of the original St. Patrick's Church with the current structure reflected the increased size and influence of the parish in the late nineteenth century. It also provided a handsome symbol of the achievements and ongoing contributions of the north end Irish Catholic community to the city of Halifax.
St. Patrick's Church still holds regular services.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
Character-defining elements of St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church relating to its Gothic Revival style include:
- brick and stone construction;
- rectangular plan;
- steeply-pitched gable roof;
- five-sided apse;
- slightly steeped, central tower;
- symmetrical three bay front façade, each with double entrance under a pointed arch which springs from Corinthian columns;
- tympana containing bar tracery, forming a quatrefoil design in the side arches and a cinquefoil pattern in the centre;
- arched windows divided by bar tracery into lancets topped with a trefoil design on the sides and octafoil in the centre located above each entrance;
- soaring finials which top the side buttresses and mark the four corners of the tower at the springing point of the spire.
From Historic Places Canada