Rockland United Baptist Church
Title
Rockland United Baptist Church
Church Name
Rockland United Baptist Church
Church Association
Shelburne Association
Province
Nova Scotia
County
Shelburne County
Address
Rockland
Status
Demolished
Date
Built October 17, 1857
Historical Information
On October 17, 1857 the people of Rockland decided to build a meeting house that would be open to “all Ministers of the Gospel in good standing with their own church.” That day Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Bower deeded land to the trustees of the Rockland Baptist Church congregation, Andrew Decker, George Harding, Bradford Page and Allen Mathews. The land measured 80 feet by 100 feet and the cost for the land was 5 shillings. The stipulation on the deed was that the land must be used for the placement of a Baptist meeting house. Later that month, on October 28th, the deed was registered.
Prior to the construction of a Baptist church in Rockland, the people of this community attended Sunday services at Mount Hayden Chapel in Osborne. Rev. John McKenne, a local of Rockland, was the first pastor of this church. He was later buried in the cemetery of the church in 1885.
This church was a one and a half storey structure, with three double sash rectangular windows along each side of the building. There was a central steeple on the gable end of the building, capped with a low hipped roof. A unique feature of this structure was that there were two doors, one on either side of the steeple, rather than in the front. The front of the steeple was adorned with a long double sash window in the centre of the tower, over a smaller one. A triangular pediment was located above the long double sash window. Near the top of the tower were three louvered vents. An ornate railing once topped the tower, and an equally ornate fence surrounded the church.
A description of the interior of the structure, by Amos Hager is as follows:
There were three rows of pews in the sanctuary, painted ivory with dark brown trim. They faced a platform that held the pulpit, the minister’s and deacon’s chairs, and an organ. There was a wooden floor, also painted brown. The ceiling was (made) of wood sheathing and the walls were plastered. A balcony was supported by two wooden columns and was reached by a staircase to the right of the entry to the sanctuary. The balcony held about three pews and had an inclined floor. The sanctuary was heated by a large wood burning box stove behind (one) of the pews. The stove pipe ran from the stove, over the sanctuary, through the ceiling and into a brick chimney that was supported by the attic floor. The chimney was capped on the outside with a terra cotta top about three feet high, which many have been designed to lessen the weight of it. The church was lit by kerosene lamps on wall brackets until 1948 when electric lighting was installed. The pulpit of the church is now at a church in Liverpool and some hymn books are now at Grace Baptist Church in Shelburne.
The last service held at the church was in 1966. Later, in 1987, a fire broke out, killing a former member of the church, Elmer Huskins, and destroying the church.
Prior to the construction of a Baptist church in Rockland, the people of this community attended Sunday services at Mount Hayden Chapel in Osborne. Rev. John McKenne, a local of Rockland, was the first pastor of this church. He was later buried in the cemetery of the church in 1885.
This church was a one and a half storey structure, with three double sash rectangular windows along each side of the building. There was a central steeple on the gable end of the building, capped with a low hipped roof. A unique feature of this structure was that there were two doors, one on either side of the steeple, rather than in the front. The front of the steeple was adorned with a long double sash window in the centre of the tower, over a smaller one. A triangular pediment was located above the long double sash window. Near the top of the tower were three louvered vents. An ornate railing once topped the tower, and an equally ornate fence surrounded the church.
A description of the interior of the structure, by Amos Hager is as follows:
There were three rows of pews in the sanctuary, painted ivory with dark brown trim. They faced a platform that held the pulpit, the minister’s and deacon’s chairs, and an organ. There was a wooden floor, also painted brown. The ceiling was (made) of wood sheathing and the walls were plastered. A balcony was supported by two wooden columns and was reached by a staircase to the right of the entry to the sanctuary. The balcony held about three pews and had an inclined floor. The sanctuary was heated by a large wood burning box stove behind (one) of the pews. The stove pipe ran from the stove, over the sanctuary, through the ceiling and into a brick chimney that was supported by the attic floor. The chimney was capped on the outside with a terra cotta top about three feet high, which many have been designed to lessen the weight of it. The church was lit by kerosene lamps on wall brackets until 1948 when electric lighting was installed. The pulpit of the church is now at a church in Liverpool and some hymn books are now at Grace Baptist Church in Shelburne.
The last service held at the church was in 1966. Later, in 1987, a fire broke out, killing a former member of the church, Elmer Huskins, and destroying the church.
Files
Collection
Citation
“Rockland United Baptist Church,” Atlantic Baptist Built Heritage Project , accessed April 25, 2024, https://atlanticbaptistheritage.omeka.net/items/show/161.