The buildings at Port Arthur lacked aesthetic appeal with one exception: The Church. Construction of this Neo-gothic design by convict architect Henry Laing began in 1835 with inmate labor and by juveniles incarcerated at Point Puer. It was finished in 1837 but never consecrated by a religious denomination. All 1,000 plus prisoners were required to attend Sunday services. The Church was gutted by fire in 1884. However, the lancet windows and spectacular tower with conical spires attest to its former beauty. During construction, William Riley murdered fellow inmate Joseph Shuttleworth with a pickaxe. Their ghosts are said to still haunt The Church.
