Uniacke United Baptist Church
Title
Uniacke United Baptist Church
Church Name
Uniacke United Baptist Church
Church Association
Halifax Association
Province
Nova Scotia
County
Hants County
Address
200 Etter Road, Mount Uniacke
Status
Active
Date
Originally Built 1861, Built 1980
Historical Information
A Baptist congregation in Uniacke can be traced back to a building built in 1861, which was referred to as the Uniacke Union Church. The church started in the days of pastors like Stevens and Foster. They came here from Rawdon and held special meetings to gather people of their faith together. The little church was the only church in this end of the district. Much like other early Union churches it was a place of worship that housed people of many denominations and was open to all who wanted to come to worship. In time, people of other denominations would go on to construct places of worship of their own. This early church structure was much like other early Union churches and was built in the Meeting House style, a rather plain timber-frame construction, with Gothic Revival embellishments and a main entrance on the gable end. This Union Church was also meant to be a place for local children to be taught .
In the early 1860's due to gold mining and the community's growing population a new school building was constructed. It was decided that the "meeting house-school-house of worship" would be a place of worship only. By 1876 the congregation of the church had increased as well, so an extension was added to the original building. Joseph Etter, a skilled carpenter, and George Etter built a balcony inside at the back of the building with the entrance now from the vestibule. They also added a beautiful, finished wood ceiling throughout the building. By 1974, the Uniacke Union Church was no longer used for regular services by the Baptists.
The nearest Baptist church in Rawdon is about 20 minutes away from Mount Uniacke. Rev. W. Heath of the Rawdon Baptist Church noticed that he had many people that once attended Baptist services at the Union Church, Mt. Uniacke. He took an interest in this and he saw that it was time for the Baptists of Uniacke to use their old Union Church once again. Mr. Phillip Penny, who was at Acadia and serving in churches in the summer, was brought here. This small group of people numbered about 10 adults at that time. In May of 1979, Mr. Penny with small group of congregants celebrated their first year in the Mount Uniacke Union Church.
By 1979, Mr. Penny was moved to another pastoral charge. The Baptist association had a special person in mind for this little congregation in Uniacke. Rev. Dr. Freeman Fenerty; who was in retirement after 40 years in the ministry and was a guiding force in the establishment of many Baptist churches in his era. Fenerty found himself in the little church in the Etter Settlement. It was the right time for this small group, and the right person had arrived. Together they would build a church. The current Uniacke United Baptist Church (2021) is located in the Etter Settlement.
The following year, the congregations decided to have a new facility built. On October 26th, 1980, the cornerstone service was held at the new facility. On November 9, 1980, the Official Opening of the Uniacke United Baptist Church was held. The pews of this church were made specially for the building by the Springhill Institution Workshop. The pulpit and the communion table were made by Sandy Middleton and donated in memoriam.
The Uniacke Baptist Church, built in1980, is a rather long building, with a main entrance on the gable end, covered by a modern style entranceway. The building has a medium pitched roof covered with asphalt shingles, a material which is original to the building. On the peak of the roof, near the front is a small saddleback steeple on the main part of the structure. The building is dug into the side of a hill, allowing for there to be a large gathering room in the basement of the structure, housing a kitchen and multipurpose room. On each side of the building there are 12 windows, 6 on the main level and 6 in the basement level. The building has a three-bay façade in the front, with the entranceway centrally placed. On the right side is a black granite corner stone with the erection date etched into it. The building is mainly covered in white vinyl siding, which is believed to be original to the building’s construction.
The first two photos are of the Uniacke Baptist Church, built 1980. The rest are the exterior and interior of the Mount Uniacke Union Church.
Information proved by the church.
In the early 1860's due to gold mining and the community's growing population a new school building was constructed. It was decided that the "meeting house-school-house of worship" would be a place of worship only. By 1876 the congregation of the church had increased as well, so an extension was added to the original building. Joseph Etter, a skilled carpenter, and George Etter built a balcony inside at the back of the building with the entrance now from the vestibule. They also added a beautiful, finished wood ceiling throughout the building. By 1974, the Uniacke Union Church was no longer used for regular services by the Baptists.
The nearest Baptist church in Rawdon is about 20 minutes away from Mount Uniacke. Rev. W. Heath of the Rawdon Baptist Church noticed that he had many people that once attended Baptist services at the Union Church, Mt. Uniacke. He took an interest in this and he saw that it was time for the Baptists of Uniacke to use their old Union Church once again. Mr. Phillip Penny, who was at Acadia and serving in churches in the summer, was brought here. This small group of people numbered about 10 adults at that time. In May of 1979, Mr. Penny with small group of congregants celebrated their first year in the Mount Uniacke Union Church.
By 1979, Mr. Penny was moved to another pastoral charge. The Baptist association had a special person in mind for this little congregation in Uniacke. Rev. Dr. Freeman Fenerty; who was in retirement after 40 years in the ministry and was a guiding force in the establishment of many Baptist churches in his era. Fenerty found himself in the little church in the Etter Settlement. It was the right time for this small group, and the right person had arrived. Together they would build a church. The current Uniacke United Baptist Church (2021) is located in the Etter Settlement.
The following year, the congregations decided to have a new facility built. On October 26th, 1980, the cornerstone service was held at the new facility. On November 9, 1980, the Official Opening of the Uniacke United Baptist Church was held. The pews of this church were made specially for the building by the Springhill Institution Workshop. The pulpit and the communion table were made by Sandy Middleton and donated in memoriam.
The Uniacke Baptist Church, built in1980, is a rather long building, with a main entrance on the gable end, covered by a modern style entranceway. The building has a medium pitched roof covered with asphalt shingles, a material which is original to the building. On the peak of the roof, near the front is a small saddleback steeple on the main part of the structure. The building is dug into the side of a hill, allowing for there to be a large gathering room in the basement of the structure, housing a kitchen and multipurpose room. On each side of the building there are 12 windows, 6 on the main level and 6 in the basement level. The building has a three-bay façade in the front, with the entranceway centrally placed. On the right side is a black granite corner stone with the erection date etched into it. The building is mainly covered in white vinyl siding, which is believed to be original to the building’s construction.
The first two photos are of the Uniacke Baptist Church, built 1980. The rest are the exterior and interior of the Mount Uniacke Union Church.
Information proved by the church.
Files
Collection
Citation
“Uniacke United Baptist Church,” Atlantic Baptist Built Heritage Project , accessed May 8, 2024, https://atlanticbaptistheritage.omeka.net/items/show/288.