Designed by noted PEI architect George E. Baker, construction of the church began in 1890. This impressive edifice replaced an 1823 church which had become outgrown by the congregation. The church's cornerstone was laid on July 26, 1891, after which construction continued for another year and a half, culminating it its dedication on December 8, 1892.
In the church's beautiful interior one will find a a pair of triple stained glass windows, one dedicated to the sons of the parish killed in the Great War, the other dedicated to a past member of the parish. At the rear of the nave, in the balcony, is a large Casavant Frères pipe organ, designated
Opus 159, installed in 1902. It has two manuals, 7 stops, 7 ranks, a manual compass of 58 notes, a pedal compass of 27 notes, slider chests and mechanical key action.
Updated through on-line information from Scott Gorrill. -- I was born and raised in Micouche and although I'm no organ technician I can say this organ is still in good working order. The current priest at the church, Father Albin Arsenault, has been restoring the church to its original state but I'm not sure if this organ was touched. Of all my times in this church I can't remember the organ not working and is used during each mass. (Database Manager. 2008-11-06)
From the Pipe Organ Database
The interior was constructed with a gorgeous vaulted ceiling, segmented into a series of connected curved triangular arches (which I find difficult to describe - see the photo below).
Interestingly, this church's first parish priest's name was John A MacDonald, the same as Canada's first Prime Minister, who, again interestingly, died the year this church's cornerstone was laid.
Recently Father Albin Arsenault oversaw a six-year restoration of this historic church - from steeple to altar, incurring no debt - restoration was paid for as it occurred.
St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
This well maintained ornate church is designed in the High Victorian Gothic style. It features a symmetrical facade with a rectangular nave framed by twin square towers with buttresses. Side aisles are located on each side of the nave with a clerestory above. A sacristy is located at the back or east end of the church. The pointed arch Gothic windows feature tracery and hood moulding. The gable roof has decorative bargeboard and a cross at its peak. Each spire is also topped by a cross. The east end of the church has a decorative corner turret rising from each corner.
HERITAGE VALUE
The church is valued for its well preserved High Victorian Gothic architecture; as an example of the work of Island architect, George Edwin Baker; and for its importance to the heritage of the Acadian people of Miscouche.
The first church on this site was constructed in 1823. It was a much more subdued building featuring a gable roof with eave returns and a small tower set on the roof of the church. An engraving of this building was shown in Meacham's 1880 Atlas of PEI.
By the late 1880s, this small church was proving inadequate to the needs of the parish and it was decided to construct a larger building. Under the direction of Rev. John A. MacDonald, the noted PEI architect, George E. Baker, was employed to design the new church, while Schurman and Clark Company of Summerside were the contractors.
Work began in 1890, with the cornerstone being laid on July 26, 1891. It was completed and dedicated on December 8, 1892.
The impressive building has a great deal of intricacy in its exterior cladding and trim. Some of these features include the gingerbread bargeboard of the gable roof; the shingle and board and batten cladding; and the crocket decoration on the triangular moulding above the three doors of the entrance.
The church bells were later installed in 1901 and 1905. The church represents a rebirth of pride Acadians had in their culture and religious heritage following the 1884 Miscouche Conference. This was the second of three Acadian National Congresses held in the Maritimes and was the one where the Acadians adopted their distinctive flag.
The well preserved church remains a landmark in the community and is a source of pride to its parishoners.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
- the rectangular nave with side aisles and clerestory
- the twin square towers on the facade
- the sacristy at the back of the nave
- the pointed arch Gothic windows with tracery
- the hood moulding with crockets
- the gable roof with decorative bargeboard
- the crosses at the peak of each spire and at the peak of the gable roof
- the decorative turrets
- the buttresses on the tower, nave, and sacristy
From Historic Places Canada