Harmony Baptist Church

A Baptist congregation in the Harmony Road area was started in 1872, at which time services were believed to have been held in the homes of parishioners. By 1913 a church building was erected to serve the region and is still in use today (2022). In 1918 it was dedicated and was “free of debt” at the time. The first minister to serve the congregation in the church was Rev. N. S. Whitman, a native of Waterville. Much of the work involved in building the church was donated by residents of the community. Some who owned woodlots provided the material; others laboured on the interior and exterior.

This building is typical in terms of style for its time; it is a prime example of architectural movement congregations were making in the first part of the twentieth century from a symmetrical design with the steeple centrally placed on the gable end, in a style that was usually Gothic or Greek Revival, to a church that was more classical in design with an ansymmetrical design. One of the most eye-catching features of this church is the belfry, which originally had gothic arch openings for the sound of the bell to carry, which has since been covered up. Along with this feature, the church has a large ornate stained-glass window visible from the road, on the front façade. One feature that was covered up when the addition was built are the multiple classical windows with eyebrow trims located on the right side of the building and visible in photo 1.

There are two main entrances into the building, visible from the road. The first entrance is within the belltower and appears to be the original entrance used to gain access to the sanctuary. The second entrance is located on the “L” on the right side of the sanctuary; this entrance is used to gain access to the church/community recreational hall which also includes a small group meeting room, washrooms and a kitchen. This space used by the church congregation and community groups was constructed on property formerly occupied by the Harmony Community Hall which was razed. Originally this church was just a sanctuary, and it was not until the mid-twentieth century that the “L” was added on . It is common for churches of the time period and design to have these “L’s” on the facility. This marks the transition in the early twentieth century that Baptist church congregations were transitioning from a church just being a sanctuary space to a facility that could be used for recreational events as well. In Harmony it was a cooperative decision of church and community to provide a modern facility for church and community events. This church has retained many of its original architectural features and embellishments over the years that sets it apart from other Baptist churches in the region; however, some have been covered up with an addition and the application of vinyl siding.

Information provided by Churches of Kings County Nova Scotia and the church.