Pleasantville United Baptist Church
Title
Pleasantville United Baptist Church
Church Name
Pleasantville United Baptist Church
Church Association
Lunenburg-Queens Association
Province
Nova Scotia
County
Lunenburg County
Address
Pleasantville
Status
Active
Date
Built 1872, addition in 1986
Historical Information
January 16th, 1869, was an important date in the history of the Baptists of Pleasantville. It was on that day that a meeting was held in the old schoolhouse, chaired by Rev Stephen March of the Bridgewater Baptist Church. It was unanimously resolved that a house of worship in this area was indispensable, and a decision was made to erect a place of worship. A building committee and board of trustees were elected to oversee the project, which took nearly four years to complete. During this time, worship services were held at the schoolhouse or at the home of Joel Corkum.
On November 25th, 1872, the building committee presented their report as follows: “Brethren, our committee beg leave to report that they have attended to the duty assigned them to the best of their ability, that the meeting house is now ready for opening and we wish to hand it over to the trustees of the house for the church to sell the pews and pay the building committee.” The church was erected on land donated by brothers John Haughn and Joel Corkum. On November 27, 1872, the pews were sold at auction to cover the cost of the building, which was $1,187.00. Each buyer was required to make a ten percent down payment at that time, with the balance to be paid in January 1873. The cost of the pews were from $20 to $59. The entire sum was realized at this later date. It was resolved that all pew holders shall be permitted to have a voice in repairing and painting of the house in the future.
The church was dedicated on December 15, 1872, with services at 10:30 in the morning, conducted by Rev Stephen March of Bridgewater.
In 1875, by mutual consent of the Bridgewater Church and Pleasantville section, after due deliberation by a competent council called for that purpose, the latter was organized into a separate church to be known and distinguished as the Pleasantville Baptist Church. A number of people were present. Pastors and delegates of neighboring churches took part in the organizational experience.
Many improvements have taken place in the church building over the years. A platform was erected for the choir in 1928, the church was wired for electricity in 1943, and a wood burning furnace was installed in 1949, to be replaced by an oil furnace in 1963. A tile ceiling was installed in the old portion of the building in 1960, lowering the ceiling to its present height (2021).
Under the direction of Pastor G. Burton on June 22, 1983, an expansion research committee was formed and asked to investigate the feasibility of expanding or relocating the church building. The original structure was 1200 sq feet but bulging at the seams. Donations began to emerge even before the final plans were introduced. Between October 1983 and June 1989, the church family donated $95,000. The boys and girls attending Sunday school were encouraged to bring in their pennies for this project and over $1,000 was raised from them during the construction period. In the spring of 1986, ground broke and the addition of the multi-purpose room began. The inside of the old church was reversed and an addition to the front, housing a new platform and several offices, was completed and a service of dedication was held in June 1989. During the construction period, Rev. Burton resigned for health reasons and Rev D. Porter provided leadership for completing the project, resulting in the facility used to present (2021).
The original building (1872) was a rather plain building, with a wood frame construction and a centrally placed entrance on the gable end. The style of this building is Gothic Revival, popular amongst Baptist Churches in Atlantic Canada during this period. Above the main entrance was a pointed gothic window, and on each side of the building there were three large gothic windows.
Information provided by the church.
On November 25th, 1872, the building committee presented their report as follows: “Brethren, our committee beg leave to report that they have attended to the duty assigned them to the best of their ability, that the meeting house is now ready for opening and we wish to hand it over to the trustees of the house for the church to sell the pews and pay the building committee.” The church was erected on land donated by brothers John Haughn and Joel Corkum. On November 27, 1872, the pews were sold at auction to cover the cost of the building, which was $1,187.00. Each buyer was required to make a ten percent down payment at that time, with the balance to be paid in January 1873. The cost of the pews were from $20 to $59. The entire sum was realized at this later date. It was resolved that all pew holders shall be permitted to have a voice in repairing and painting of the house in the future.
The church was dedicated on December 15, 1872, with services at 10:30 in the morning, conducted by Rev Stephen March of Bridgewater.
In 1875, by mutual consent of the Bridgewater Church and Pleasantville section, after due deliberation by a competent council called for that purpose, the latter was organized into a separate church to be known and distinguished as the Pleasantville Baptist Church. A number of people were present. Pastors and delegates of neighboring churches took part in the organizational experience.
Many improvements have taken place in the church building over the years. A platform was erected for the choir in 1928, the church was wired for electricity in 1943, and a wood burning furnace was installed in 1949, to be replaced by an oil furnace in 1963. A tile ceiling was installed in the old portion of the building in 1960, lowering the ceiling to its present height (2021).
Under the direction of Pastor G. Burton on June 22, 1983, an expansion research committee was formed and asked to investigate the feasibility of expanding or relocating the church building. The original structure was 1200 sq feet but bulging at the seams. Donations began to emerge even before the final plans were introduced. Between October 1983 and June 1989, the church family donated $95,000. The boys and girls attending Sunday school were encouraged to bring in their pennies for this project and over $1,000 was raised from them during the construction period. In the spring of 1986, ground broke and the addition of the multi-purpose room began. The inside of the old church was reversed and an addition to the front, housing a new platform and several offices, was completed and a service of dedication was held in June 1989. During the construction period, Rev. Burton resigned for health reasons and Rev D. Porter provided leadership for completing the project, resulting in the facility used to present (2021).
The original building (1872) was a rather plain building, with a wood frame construction and a centrally placed entrance on the gable end. The style of this building is Gothic Revival, popular amongst Baptist Churches in Atlantic Canada during this period. Above the main entrance was a pointed gothic window, and on each side of the building there were three large gothic windows.
Information provided by the church.
Files
Collection
Citation
“Pleasantville United Baptist Church,” Atlantic Baptist Built Heritage Project , accessed April 26, 2024, https://atlanticbaptistheritage.omeka.net/items/show/268.