St Patrick, VIRGINIA, Main St, Roman Catholic

The former St. Mary's Catholic Church, built on a site donated in the 1840s by the Marquess of Headfort and deconsecrated in 1989, is a good example of early to mid-nineteenth century ecclesiastical architecture. The applied rather than structural Gothic detailing is typical of the 'Strawberry Hill Gothic' used in church architecture up to the middle of the century. The crenellated gabled form is typical of churches built by non-Conformists and Catholics in that period and contrasts to the more ambitious churches of the second half of the century. As in other Plantation towns, the hierarchical siting of churches is of particular interest, and in Virginia the Established Church occupied an axial stand-alone position at the end of the main street, while the Catholic church was set in a normal plot in the street. A new Catholic parish church was built c.1990 on the Bailieborough Road and this building was re-opened in 1999 as the Ramor Theatre and has thereby remained in community use. The building adds considerable architectural definition to the character of this part of the town.

[ National Inventory of Architectural Heritage ]