Description of Historic Place

Built in 1926, Saint-Hilaire Church is a modern Neoclassical reddish brick religious building with an aluminum roof and a central bell tower. It is located on Centrale Street and is next to the rectory and the former regional school.

Heritage Value

Saint-Hilaire church is designated a Local Historic Place because it symbolizes the separation of the villages of Saint-Hilaire and Baker Brook, as the two were previously part of the same village, Albertine. The location of the church on the banks of the Saint John River and its modest appearance are very picturesque and provide a strong sense of identity. It is a good example of Neoclassically-inspired modern religious architecture and has exceptional acoustics. The wooden windows are original.

The church was built through contributions from the entire village and notably from two rather unusual businessmen, Maxime Albert and Fred Levesque, who were Prohibition barons originally from Saint-Hilaire.

Source: Madawaska Planning Commission, Register of Historic Places, File: 1.2- "Église Saint-Hilaire"

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Saint-Hilaire Church include:
- one-and-a-half storey rectangular massing;
- gable roof with returned eaves;
- central bell tower with pediments and two-tier lantern;
- reddish brick exterior walls;
- Roman arch window and door openings ;
- fanlight and rose window transoms;
- lateral chapel;
- interior totally covered in wood lath, contributing to the quality of the acoustics;
- unique circumstances of construction and providing a sense of identity.