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Classified Federal Heritage Building, the Memorial Church of Grand-Pré was built, as its name suggests, more as a memorial than a church. Built in 1922, the church was designated in its 70th year, 1992 - May 14th, to be precise.
A stone church in the eighteenth century French Regime style, which, we understand, is quite common in Quebec, it is a simple rectangle in plan, with a tall, square belfry and spire over the entrance. Beginning as a shingle clad square rising from the gable peak, the wooden belfry has angled corners which continue through its overhanging eaves and part way up the spire. At the rear is a small vestry, while at one side, near the front, is a secondary entrance to the nave. The major entrance, in the front façade, consists of three wooden double doors surmounted by a very large semicircular transom, above which is a much smaller round window. The steeply pitched gable eaves are returned front and rear. At the rear corners of the nave are a pair of tall stone chimneys.
This Church is a Memorial to the men and boys who were read the Deportation Order on September 5th, 1755 and held prisoners for one month until the ships that would deport and scatter these families arrived. The Order had been decided upon by Governor Lawrence, Lieutenant Governor of Acadia stationed in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Governor Lawrence believed that the Acadians were a threat to the British. However, the Acadians had no such intentions and were very peace loving and hard working people. Though the Acadians had signed Allegiance to the British Crown that had promised they would never have to bear arms against France ~ the land of their birth ~ Governor Lawrence ordered them to take up arms against France for the British. When the Acadians refused, the Order of Deportation was prepared and given by John Winslow. At the same time the Order was being read Governor Lawrence took prisoners those men who had gone to meet with him in Halifax and who had been chosen as representatives by their Acadian families and neighbors. Some of the men and boys imprisoned in the Church that day, would never see their families again.
From Acadian Home
Memorial Chapel
Description of Historic Place
The dominant structure in Grand-Pre National Historic Site, the Grand-Pre Memorial Chapel is a simple, rectangular-plan stone building with a steeply pitched bell-cast roof. It has a simple front-end gable, and above the large front double doors is a round window containing a stained glass depiction of the Acadian expulsion. The Church interior is illuminated by small arched windows, which pierce the sidewalls. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value
The Memorial Chapel is a Classified Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.
Historical Value:
The Memorial Chapel Grand-Pre is one of the best examples of a structure built to present and commemorate the Acadian expulsion as popularized in the poem of Evangeline by Henry Wordsworth Longfellow. The Grand-Pre site is commonly accepted as the location where the Acadians were held before the deportation. The site is also associated with the historian John Frederic Herbin, who formed the Grand-Pre Preservation-Restoration and Acadian-Longfellow Memorial Movement, with the aim of purchasing the present site and developing it as an Acadian memorial.
Architectural Value:
The Memorial Chapel is a very good example of a structure built in the traditional Quebec manner. Its value lies in its emulated eighteenth century French Regime design, and in its French vernacular architectural influence, as exemplified by the flared eaves. Its value also lies in the very good quality of its materials and craftsmanship.
Environmental Value:
The Memorial Chapel is the dominant structure in Grand-Pre National Historic Park and establishes the historic character of the area. It is a familiar and symbolic landmark to both residents and visiting tourists.
From Parks Canada