Greenfield United Baptist Church

A Baptist church in Greenfield was constructed in 1861. This building resembled an early style of church known as the meeting house style, a common style among Baptists in early to mid-nineteenth century Atlantic Canada. This style is often characterized by its small and rather plain facility, with no steeple, and gothic embellishments. The front entrance was often on the gable end, with either two entrances: one on the left, and right sides of the front façade, one meant for the men and the other for women; or a centrally placed doorway.

This church was built with hints of the Greek Revival Style, noticeable through the decorative mouldings and rounded windows. It is a one-storey wooden structure with a medium pitched gable roof. One of the most eye-catching features of the building is the half medallion window placed in the peak of the roof with plain clear glass, and the other rounded windows with their ornate woodwork surrounding them. The building also has Greek window over each of the two doors on the front façade. One unique feature of this building is the type of curve that these windows have, along with the two doorways on the front façade. These features are unique to the building and set it apart from others in the area. Often, Baptist churches from this era have a more pronounced pointed curve, as opposed to the windows found on this building that are almost semi-circular. This stylistic choice is found in early churches of the Anglican faith throughout the Annapolis Valley.

In 1921 the church underwent major interior renovations, with wood sheathing being added to the interior walls, and a platform rearranged to give room for a choir. Later, in 1946, more renovations took place on the building, with pews being added and the exterior being painted. Prior to this year it is believed that the church had individual seating rather than pews, uncommon for Baptist churches from this timeframe.

Sadly, this church fell into disrepair, with a shrinking population in the area, leading this church to be demolished in the late twentieth or early twenty-first century.

Information provided by Churches of Kings County Nova Scotia