Description of Historic Place

Saint Aloysius Roman Catholic Church is a Municipal Heritage Property which occupies one urban lot on Main Street in the Town of Milestone. Constructed in 1920, the property features a brick, one-and-a-half storey church with a bell tower.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of Saint Aloysius Roman Catholic Church lies in its association with the religious development of Milestone. Mass was initially conducted in private homes and a local schoolhouse until the parish could build a church. Constructed in 1920, with donations and volunteer labour, the large church reflects the parish’s optimism regarding the community’s growth potential. As the oldest Catholic church in the area, several generations of parishioners attended mass, were baptised, married and had their funerals in the church.

Saint Aloysius Roman Catholic Church is also valued for its architecture, which speaks to the ecclesiastical function of the building. The church is noticeably larger in scale and more architecturally-detailed than most small town churches, evident in the buttresses and the quoins around the windows. These detailed features, along with the arched stained glass windows, ecclesiastical ornamentation and bell tower make the building readily identifiable as a Christian church. The property’s corner location on Main Street, brick construction, and large bell tower contribute to the building’s landmark status in Milestone and surrounding area.

Source:

Town of Milestone Bylaw No.4/82.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Saint Aloysius Roman Catholic Church resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements reflecting its association with the religious life of Milestone, such as the crosses above the front door, atop the bell tower and inside the church, religious ornamentation through out the interior, such as crucifixes and religious depictions on the interior walls, the stained glass windows, wood confessional, and the sign in front of the church which states the name of the church and the year it was built;
-those architectural features which speak to its status as an architectural landmark in the community, including the form and brick construction, bell tower, quoins, arched windows, buttresses, and the building’s orientation on its original lot.