Martock United Baptist Church
Title
Martock United Baptist Church
Creator
Avery Jackson
Source
Information from the Acadia Archives - Churches by the Sea, January 20, 1987.
Church Name
Martock United Baptist Church
Church Association
Formerly Eastern Valley Baptist Association
Province
Nova Scotia
County
Hants County
Address
Martock, Nova Scotia
Status
Demolished
Date
Built 1876
Historical Information
Martock United Baptist Church had its beginnings with Rev. Elias W. Kelly. Although he was only pastor for a year at the Windsor Baptist Church, he left an enduring legacy through the construction of a Baptist church in Martock. It is said that when this church was about to be built, he stood on the plot of land given by the Redden Family and said, “This is the place where the pulpit will stand.”
Dr. Kelly was originally from Collina, New Brunswick, and graduated from Acadia University in 1876.
In a Historical Sketch of the Windsor United Baptist Church written by Edgar D. Shand in 1919, the beginning of the work at Martock is described as follows - “In 1876 a house of worship was erected at Martock to accommodate those of our members who resided there, some of them could not conveniently attend the town (Windsor) services.”
It appears that the Martock Baptist Church has always been associated with the Windsor Baptist Church, and had pulpit supply, on occasion from other Baptist churches. By 1968, Allen Gibson wrote an article for ‘Churches by the Sea’ and outlined that this church was facing a decline in membership. It is believed that during the later half of the twentieth century, this church was closed and demolished.
This church was typical for its time in terms of size and style of other rural Baptist churches built in Atlantic Canada during the later half of the nineteenth century. The main structure was 1 ½ storeys tall, with a centrally placed tower on the gable end. The church appears to have been built in the Classical style, which was not as prevalent during this time as other styles such as Gothic and Greek revival. The church features three rectangular windows on each of the eave-sides, two windows on each side of the centrally placed doorway, and one near the peak, in the tower. Another striking feature of this building is the four-sided triangular spire, and saw-tooth trim directly below it.
Information from the M. Allen Gibson, Churches by the Sea, Chronicle Herald, January 20, 1987.
Dr. Kelly was originally from Collina, New Brunswick, and graduated from Acadia University in 1876.
In a Historical Sketch of the Windsor United Baptist Church written by Edgar D. Shand in 1919, the beginning of the work at Martock is described as follows - “In 1876 a house of worship was erected at Martock to accommodate those of our members who resided there, some of them could not conveniently attend the town (Windsor) services.”
It appears that the Martock Baptist Church has always been associated with the Windsor Baptist Church, and had pulpit supply, on occasion from other Baptist churches. By 1968, Allen Gibson wrote an article for ‘Churches by the Sea’ and outlined that this church was facing a decline in membership. It is believed that during the later half of the twentieth century, this church was closed and demolished.
This church was typical for its time in terms of size and style of other rural Baptist churches built in Atlantic Canada during the later half of the nineteenth century. The main structure was 1 ½ storeys tall, with a centrally placed tower on the gable end. The church appears to have been built in the Classical style, which was not as prevalent during this time as other styles such as Gothic and Greek revival. The church features three rectangular windows on each of the eave-sides, two windows on each side of the centrally placed doorway, and one near the peak, in the tower. Another striking feature of this building is the four-sided triangular spire, and saw-tooth trim directly below it.
Information from the M. Allen Gibson, Churches by the Sea, Chronicle Herald, January 20, 1987.
Files
Collection
Citation
Avery Jackson, “Martock United Baptist Church,” Atlantic Baptist Built Heritage Project , accessed April 28, 2024, https://atlanticbaptistheritage.omeka.net/items/show/434.