Windsor United Baptist Church

The Windsor Baptist Church can trace its inception back to December 4, 1819, when 13 members came together to form the congregation with the help of Rev. David Nutter.

During the winter of 1819-1820 the congregation met in the upper level of a dwelling on Gerrish St. while their church was being erected. This first church was located between Stannus and Victoria Streets. This church was built in the Meeting House style, a common style among protestant congregations 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.

The congregation soon outgrew their first building and in 1858, they built again, this time the structure was located on King St., near the end of Gerrish St., on land donated by Mr. Peter Shand. Several years later the building was enlarged and expanded, with a Sunday School located beside it. This building, along with 77 other buildings in town, was destroyed in a fire on October 17, 1897.

The congregation soon began planning of the construction of their third church and hired Mr. Joseph Taylor of Falmouth, who was a master builder. The structure and all its furnishings were completed in 1899 at a cost of $14,000. This building had many renovations and additions added to it over the years. This church was typical for its time in terms of style and architecture. This church was a prime example of the transitional phase in Baptist Church around the turn of the twentieth century from a symmetrical design, usually in the Gothic Revival style, with a centrally placed steeple on the gable end, to an asymmetrical design with the steeple place usually on the side of the structure. Many of these churches with an asymmetrical design are also based on a modified “Akron Plan,” so named because it was first used in Akron, Ohio in 1867. This design abandoned the traditional long, straight, and narrow sanctuary with a central aisle in favor of a shallower and wider sanctuary with a sloping floor and pews which sweep in a half-circle and are broken into three sections. The purpose of these features was to enable everyone to see and hear clearly in a time when sound and projection systems were nonexistent. Also typical of the Akron style are sliding walls which allow the gallery to be closed off when not needed, and doors on the Sunday School rooms which completely open the front wall of the classroom. In a true Akron style Sunday School, the classes would open these doors completely so that the superintendent would be in full view to address the whole Sunday school. Doors were then closed for the class time. The sliding door could also be opened to enlarge the seating capacity of the sanctuary.

This church was constructed in the Akron plan. Some of the most striking features of this structure include the two towers on the front façade, flanking a gable end with a large, ornate Gothic Revival window. The tallest main tower was one of the most catching features of this church’s architecture, and features a staked steeple design, with one main steeple flanked by four smaller towers. This building originally contained a lot of ornate woodwork and archectural detailings; however, with the addition of vinyl siding to the exterior of the structure a lot of trim boards and woodwork were covered up. This building was purchased by a neighbour, who had planned on making a musical center.

Photos one and two are of the same building, however, photo two is a mirror image of the structure.

In the early 2010’s the congregation made the decision to move into a former Mormon church in Windsor; this structure was built in the mid-2000’s. This church was built using hints of classical architecture, visible on the front façade with its classical style pillars, breaking the façade into three bays. The structure has sides that come down far on each side, demonstrating that this church is in fact a new build. This church style represents a stylistic shift in Baptist Church architecture and is typical for its time in terms of style. This building is much more than just a place that is used for Sunday gatherings, it is a place that is intended to be used throughout the week for various events and classes.

Information provided by the church.

Photos 1 courtesy of Atlantic Baptist Archives, D1900.039/546
Photo 2 courtesy of Atlantic Baptist Archives, D1900.039/358
Photo 3 courtesy of Windsor Baptist Church.
Photo 4 courtesy of Thomas Pierce.