A Romanesque prayer place that, according to a lost document, existed before 964, made way for a Gothic cruciform church with a crossing tower around 1364.
When the centuries-old parish of Basel was added to the diocese of Ghent in 1559, the first major renovation works on the church were started. For example, the transepts were added during this period and the choir was renovated. However, the iconoclasts caused a lot of damage between 1578 and 1587. In the course of the 17th century, repairs were started and the church was further adapted to the aesthetics of the High Gothic, including by replacing the wooden barrel vault in the nave with Gothic stones. cross rib vaults. This concealed the original Romanesque skylights and wall paintings. In the 17th century, the church was also provided with side aisles that were renovated and expanded in the course of the 2nd half of the 17th century.
In 1879 the high choir burned down completely. The repair works were combined with an expansion of the church to meet the needs of the increased number of churchgoers. The design of the new church was provided by architect P. Van Kerkchove, master builder of the town hall of Sint-Niklaas. The facade of the church was demolished and rebuilt one bay further back. The Gothic stone vaults were also placed 2 meters higher so that the interior space appears much airier. It is roughly in this form that St. Peter's Church still exists.
(Open Churches)