I was challenged by Gerasimos Georg, @gerry13, to take architectural photos. This is my second shot for it.
In 1970 a fire consumed the church of St. Raphael's, one of the earliest Roman Catholic churches in English-speaking Canada. Fortunately the outer walls were spared and today its impressive scale and fine masonry work continue to attract the tourists to the site. The Ruins were declared a National Historic Site in 1999.
The plaque at the site reads:
The extraordinary ruins of this church recall the early history of Roman Catholicism in Upper Canada. Begun in 1815, St. Raphael's Church originally served as the centre of the colony's largest and most important parish, and the administrative headquarters of the first Roman Catholic bishop, Alexander Macdonell. Situated in the heart of the historic Highland settlement, the parish was the cradle of Catholicism in Ontario. The ruins left standing after the fire of 1970 serve as a testament to Bishop Macdonell's determined efforts to forward the interests of his faith.
Good pano Wendy!! :) and interesting info. Wow, it's not that often I see such 'perfect' ruins like this. How beautiful they are. It looks like it was quite a big church in it's day too.
i visited this in September 2015 and amazed by the size. what was more amazing was the big bell in the front, part of which has melted. i imagine it was so incredibly hot for that big metal to melt like it did. one day, i shall go back and take more photos! you aced this one. do you live around that area, wendy?
This is a really neat place to visit and I spend many hours here just looking at the fantastic stonework.
I live on a farm east of Alexandria near Glen Robertson - every little town here in Glengarry is Glen something! LOL!