Saint Thomas United Baptist Church, formerly Second Preston Church
Title
Saint Thomas United Baptist Church, formerly Second Preston Church
Creator
Avery Jackson
Source
Saint Thomas United Baptist Church
Church Name
Saint Thomas United Baptist Church, formerly Second Preston Church
Church Association
African United Baptist Association
Province
Nova Scotia
County
Halifax County
Address
35 Simmonds Road, North Preston
Status
Active
Date
Originally built circa 1856, current building built 1879
Historical Information
In 1856, Preston’s Second Baptist Church was established by Reverend Richard Preston and was named Second Preston Church with Reverend Benson Smithers as the pastor. Second Preston Church was one of the original member churches of the African Baptist Association of Nova Scotia, founded by Reverend Richard Preston in 1854. Sometime in the 1860s, Second Preston Church was re-named South Church. In 1879, the congregation reorganised and built a new building in the New Road settlement, now called North Preston, under the leadership of Reverend James Thomas, a Welshman. The members of South Church renamed their church and new building Saint Thomas Baptist Church out of their love for and in memory of their former pastor Reverend James Thomas, who died before the official opening of the new building.
In 2017, the church interior was destroyed by fire. Luckily the congregation was able to rebuild and remodel the interior of the facility, after months of hard work.
The original building that served the congregation prior to 1879, was likely constructed in the Meeting House style. The Meeting House style is typical for its time in terms of size and style of Baptist churches in Atlantic Canada. The style is characterised by being a 1 ½ wood-frame construction, with either one or two entranceways located on the gable end. One can tell a lot about the beliefs of a congregation by examining their architecture. Often when there are two doors, one located on each side of the front facade, one door was used by the men, and the other by the women.
The current building (2023), built in 1876, is an early example, more common in the first part of the twentieth century, of a church that does not have a symmetrical front facade, and has the tower off to one side. The footprint of the church has been modified and added over the years, as the number of members changed, therefore altering the appearance of the front facade. The building still, however, maintains elements of its original Gothic Revival style, evident throughout the building with the use of gothic pointed windows. Much of the original outdoor architectural embellishments have been hidden due to the application of white vinyl siding. Little remains original to the interior after the fire. The interior of the church has a “U” shaped balcony, and curved, wooden pews that face the platform.
Information provided by the Saint Thomas United Baptist Church.
In 2017, the church interior was destroyed by fire. Luckily the congregation was able to rebuild and remodel the interior of the facility, after months of hard work.
The original building that served the congregation prior to 1879, was likely constructed in the Meeting House style. The Meeting House style is typical for its time in terms of size and style of Baptist churches in Atlantic Canada. The style is characterised by being a 1 ½ wood-frame construction, with either one or two entranceways located on the gable end. One can tell a lot about the beliefs of a congregation by examining their architecture. Often when there are two doors, one located on each side of the front facade, one door was used by the men, and the other by the women.
The current building (2023), built in 1876, is an early example, more common in the first part of the twentieth century, of a church that does not have a symmetrical front facade, and has the tower off to one side. The footprint of the church has been modified and added over the years, as the number of members changed, therefore altering the appearance of the front facade. The building still, however, maintains elements of its original Gothic Revival style, evident throughout the building with the use of gothic pointed windows. Much of the original outdoor architectural embellishments have been hidden due to the application of white vinyl siding. Little remains original to the interior after the fire. The interior of the church has a “U” shaped balcony, and curved, wooden pews that face the platform.
Information provided by the Saint Thomas United Baptist Church.
Files
Collection
Citation
Avery Jackson, “Saint Thomas United Baptist Church, formerly Second Preston Church,” Atlantic Baptist Built Heritage Project , accessed April 28, 2024, https://atlanticbaptistheritage.omeka.net/items/show/427.