The 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.
 
The Old St. Michael’s Rectory was the first building of St. Michael’s Parish in Chatham, and serves as a good example of mid-19th-century Georgian architecture with its gable-roofed symmetrical design with a central entryway. Though modest in appearance, it is often considered the birthplace of Chatham’s and the rest of northern New Brunswick's Catholic institutions. The rectory was originally erected 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.

Beyond its use as a parish rectory, in the 1860s the Old St. Michael’s Rectory served as the location for St. Michael’s Academy, which was the predecessor of St. Thomas University. The former residence also hosted the Hôtel Dieu Hospital in 1869 and 1870, and 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. Between 1979 and 1981, the old rectory was restored and was moved to Howard Street.