In 937 there was already a small Romanesque church on this highest point of Mariakerke. In the second half of the 13th century, this Church of the Birth of Our Lady underwent a major renovation in Scheldt Gothic style.
The full restoration and refurbishment of the church in Neo-Gothic style began in 1870, overseen by Jean-Baptiste Bethune, a pioneer of the Neo-Gothic style in Flanders. The church was thoroughly restored and extended between 1887 and 1892, according to a design by the Ghent-based architect and restorer Auguste Van Assche. He created the interior and fixed furnishings in partnership with Jean-Baptiste Bethune, a prominent figure in the Neo-Gothic period.
The church and its surroundings, with its cemetery and bishops’ gallery dating from 1873 (designed by Jean-Baptiste Bethune) form a unique site in Ghent.