18-20 Haviland Street

The heritage value of 18-20 Haviland Street lies in its role in the history of public health services in Charlottetown and its association with Bishop Peter MacIntyre.

The building that now resides at 18-20 Haviland Street was originally the home of merchant, Joseph MacDonald and his wife Ann. In 1858, the home was offered for sale but no one bought it until 1862, when Bishop Peter MacIntyre made it his residence. The Bishop lived in the home until the much larger Bishop’s “palace” was built in 1875 to house the Bishop and other clergy. The need for a general hospital in Charlottetown had been apparent for quite some time and in 1879, the Bishop delivered a sermon on the need of medical services for Charlottetown’s poor. This inspired many parishioners to give donations, which were used to convert the former Bishop’s residence into a fourteen bed hospital. The Charlottetown Hospital opened in October of 1879. It was open to patients, clergy and doctors of all faiths and was supported by donations from the public. The hospital was staffed with five Grey Nuns and three Franciscan Sisters. Seven of the City’s prominent doctors worked with the patients. An addition was added three years later in order to increase the hospital’s capacity. The building was moved from Dorchester Street to its present location on Haviland Street around 1890. It now serves as an apartment building.