Old St. Michael’s Rectory is recognized for its importance to the Catholic residents of Miramichi, the bishops who used it as a residence, and its architecture.
 
Old St. Michael’s Rectory was the first building of St. Michael’s Parish in Chatham. The Old St. Michael’s Rectory is considered the birthplace of Chatham’s and the rest of northern New Brunswick's Catholic institutions.
 
Beyond its use as a parish rectory, the Old St. Michael’s Rectory served as the first Hôtel Dieu Hospital between 1869 and 1870, and then later became St. Michael’s Academy in the 1860s. St. Michael’s Academy was the predecessor of St. Thomas University. The rectory was later adopted as the St. Joseph Preparatory School for boys between 1919 and 1930. Eventually, the building began its current use as the St. Michael’s Museum and Genealogical Centre.
 
The refectory was originally built in 1856 by Father John Sweeney, who used it as his home. Father Sweeney would later become the third bishop of Saint John. In 1860, the property was passed on to Monsignor James Rogers, then bishop of the Chatham diocese.
 
Lastly, Old St. Michael's Rectory is a good example of mid-19th-century Georgian architecture. It features a symmetrical design with a central entryway. In 1979 and 1981, the old rectory was restored and moved to a new location on Howard Street.