Morristown United Baptist Church

The first meeting house in Morristown was a union church building that was used by both the Baptists and Methodists of the area. A union church refers to a church building that was built by and used by more than one denomination. This church was in 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 meeting house was used by the Baptists until December 1874, when they built and dedicated their own church, the church that is currently used (2022). This church was built across the road from where the union church stood. A year later, in 1875, the union church the church was not being used for services and was dismantled. In 1947, an extensive restoration and renovation project was undertaken on this Baptist church; and in the opening years of the twenty-first century a major two-story section was connected to the back of the church building to provide a large meeting room, elevator and washroom on the upper level, and on the lower level a meeting room, washroom and elevator access.

This church is unique in terms of style for its time. It is a two-and-a-half storey structure that has hints of Gothic revival architecture, visible in its Gothic tracery windows with label moldings and narrow pilaster or corner boards, typical of many country churches in Nova Scotia. This church originally would have had a lot of ornate woodwork and trim boards, prior to it being covered in white vinyl siding. This church has three levels of windows on the front façade, the first being rectangular windows in the basement level, where there is a recreational space and kitchen, the second set being gothic windows for the main sanctuary, and the third set being set high off the ground, where inside there is a balcony. This building is rather tall and narrow, with a covered entrance way with four classical style pillars with fancy black, curved gingerbread details. Above the front doors is a large stained glass gothic style window, well hidden from the covered entranceway.

Near the peak of the roof is a gothic style curved vent, which has now been modified to hold a speaker, which mimics the sound of a bell. Near the peak of the roof, on either side of the structure, close to the front, are two small, ornate gothic dormers, which also house speakers that mimic the sound of a bell. It is unknown is this building has or has ever had a bell.

This church is a prime example of Victorian era gothic architecture, as it has a steeply pitched roof, and long and narrow gothic windows on either side. This church also likely had finials near the peak of the roof and ornate gables; some of this woodwork is still visible in the dormers on either side.

The interior remains relatively unchanged and still has many of its original features including its stained woodwork, doors, curved back pews and pulpit.

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