Description of Historic Place

Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church is a 2 1/2-storey Greek Revival wooden religious building. It is situated on the north side of Main Street in Doaktown. It was constructed in 1906 for its local parishioners.

Heritage Value

Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, a former mission, is valued for its Greek Revival style of architecture and for maintaining its architectural integrity. Its simplistic style exemplifies a modest mission to this small parish community. It is situated fronting the main artery through the village and is oriented to a north/south direction, instead of the traditional east/west placement of churches.

Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church is also significant for its spiritual value within the community. It was constructed for its parishioners in 1906 under the guidance of Father Edward S. Murdoch, who, over a span of twenty years, built up the presence of the Roman Catholic faith within the small logging communities along the Main Southwest Miramichi River with the construction of Our Lady of Lourdes, as well as six other churches. Father Murdoch would visit this parish each month for services from 1906-1917. In 1952, the parish raised the building and placed a new foundation. In remained an active church for the next four decades. A new larger church constructed in 1990 resulted in the closing of Our Lady of Lourdes at that time.

Source: Village of Doaktown, Village Office, Site File #07-01

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements associated with the Greek Revival style of Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church include:
- rectangular 2 ½-storey massing;
- clad in clapboard siding;
- balanced window placement with modest pediments on long sides of building;
- eaves with returns;
- fluted corner boards with capitals;
- placement of circular window in gable end;
- painted with contrast colour trim.

The character-defining elements relating to its former use as a church include:
- location facing the main artery of town;
- single-storey vestibule encompassing nearly the entire front façade;
- hight of side windows, spanning two floors;
- portico accessible from left and right sides.