Cornerstone (Montague) United Baptist Church, formerly Montague United Baptist Church
Title
Cornerstone (Montague) United Baptist Church, formerly Montague United Baptist Church
Church Name
Cornerstone (Montague) United Baptist Church, formerly Montague United Baptist Church
Church Association
Prince Edward Island Association
Province
Prince Edward Island
County
Kings County
Address
26 Brook Street, Montague, PEI
Status
Active
Date
Built 1876, Built 1957, Current Building circa 1985
Historical Information
The History of the Montague United Baptist pastorate began with the organization of the three Rivers Baptist Church on October 14, 1812, by Elder Alexander Crawford. Montague Baptist Church was the first “Scotch Baptist” church organized on Prince Edward Island, after Cross Roads, which became a disciple church. The Montague Baptist Church built in 1876 appears to be the third building to have served the congregation. This church was erected in Montague in 1875 and finished in the spring of 1876.
The dedication was held in connection with the meeting of the P.E.I. Baptist Association in Montague that year. This building was in the Meeting House style, common amongst churches in this part of P.E.I. However, unlike the churches that were made of wood, this one was made of red brick. It was in the Gothic Revival Style and had three or four gothic arched windows on either side, and the front façade on the gable end. There were two entrances on either side of the front façade, with a larger, more ornate gothic revival window set between them. Near the peak of the roof on the gable end was a smaller version of these gothic windows. A Meeting House style of church with Gothic embellishments was common among Baptist churches in Atlantic Canada around this timeframe, but it is unusual to see them made from brick. Often when these Baptist churches had two doors on either side it was meant for the men to use one and the women to use the other.
The next building followed a very different architectural trend; rather than being in the symmetrical style it followed the popular trend in the late ninetieth and twentieth century of being asymmetrical with more classical architectural embellishments. Some of the most eye-catching features of this building are the pitch of the roof and height of the walls, which is almost identical to that of the former church. The off-centered steeple on the side of the building built into the side of the pitched roof, rather than beside the structure, is unique to this building in P.E.I. The steeple is low, and barely reaches above the peak of the roofline. The steeple appears to contain a bell, apparent through the slates near the top of the tower.
The building that the congregation had used after the 1957 construction appears to have been followed by another building that features architectural designs common amongst buildings built in the 1980’s. This building is a rather plain building with the front entrance centrally placed on the gable end. There are two large brick decorative panels on the front façade, typical of buildings from this timeframe. Each side of the building has three of these decorative panels surrounding each of the three windows on each side. The inside has been extensively renovated in 2015 and 2019 once Cornerstone took ownership.
The 1876 build is now used by the Montague Christian Church and the 1957 build by the Free Church of Scotland.
This Church has a history of name changes. It was first known as Three Rivers church, then Montague Church of Christ, then Montague United Baptist Church, and as of 2015 it has been referred to as the Cornerstone (Montague) United Baptist Church.
Photos three and four are from the Baptist Image Collection in the Atlantic Baptist Archives at Acadia University. Number 3 is D1900.039/230 and number 4 is D1900.039/229.
Information provided by the Cornerstone Church.
The dedication was held in connection with the meeting of the P.E.I. Baptist Association in Montague that year. This building was in the Meeting House style, common amongst churches in this part of P.E.I. However, unlike the churches that were made of wood, this one was made of red brick. It was in the Gothic Revival Style and had three or four gothic arched windows on either side, and the front façade on the gable end. There were two entrances on either side of the front façade, with a larger, more ornate gothic revival window set between them. Near the peak of the roof on the gable end was a smaller version of these gothic windows. A Meeting House style of church with Gothic embellishments was common among Baptist churches in Atlantic Canada around this timeframe, but it is unusual to see them made from brick. Often when these Baptist churches had two doors on either side it was meant for the men to use one and the women to use the other.
The next building followed a very different architectural trend; rather than being in the symmetrical style it followed the popular trend in the late ninetieth and twentieth century of being asymmetrical with more classical architectural embellishments. Some of the most eye-catching features of this building are the pitch of the roof and height of the walls, which is almost identical to that of the former church. The off-centered steeple on the side of the building built into the side of the pitched roof, rather than beside the structure, is unique to this building in P.E.I. The steeple is low, and barely reaches above the peak of the roofline. The steeple appears to contain a bell, apparent through the slates near the top of the tower.
The building that the congregation had used after the 1957 construction appears to have been followed by another building that features architectural designs common amongst buildings built in the 1980’s. This building is a rather plain building with the front entrance centrally placed on the gable end. There are two large brick decorative panels on the front façade, typical of buildings from this timeframe. Each side of the building has three of these decorative panels surrounding each of the three windows on each side. The inside has been extensively renovated in 2015 and 2019 once Cornerstone took ownership.
The 1876 build is now used by the Montague Christian Church and the 1957 build by the Free Church of Scotland.
This Church has a history of name changes. It was first known as Three Rivers church, then Montague Church of Christ, then Montague United Baptist Church, and as of 2015 it has been referred to as the Cornerstone (Montague) United Baptist Church.
Photos three and four are from the Baptist Image Collection in the Atlantic Baptist Archives at Acadia University. Number 3 is D1900.039/230 and number 4 is D1900.039/229.
Information provided by the Cornerstone Church.
Files
Collection
Citation
“Cornerstone (Montague) United Baptist Church, formerly Montague United Baptist Church,” Atlantic Baptist Built Heritage Project , accessed April 29, 2024, https://atlanticbaptistheritage.omeka.net/items/show/283.