New Canada United Baptist Church
Title
New Canada United Baptist Church
Creator
Avery Jackson
Source
Information provided by Atlantic Baptist Archives - Churches by the Sea, April 18, 1987.
Church Name
New Canada United Baptist Church
Church Association
Lunenburg-Queens Association
Province
Nova Scotia
County
Lunenburg County
Address
2935 Lower Branch Rd, New Germany, NS
Status
Active
Date
Originally built 1873, current building built 1902
Historical Information
New Canada was originally known as ‘The Branch’, when in 1851, Robert S. Morton found his way to this region.
The congregation initially met in the local schoolhouse, which was built in circa 1856. It was not until about 1872 that a lot of land was given by William Wagner to the community, for the construction of a Baptist church. E. Staret was the chief carpenter, who completed the building for a dedication service on June 30, 1873. This congregation was a plant from the New Germany Baptist church, and formally constituted itself on September 4, 1895.
Little is known in regards to the fate of the building constructed in 1873; it either was destroyed by fire or the congregation grew out of the building. This led to the current (2023) building being constructed in 1902. This building is a mixture of Classical and Gothic Revival styles, evident in the Gothic windows and eyebrow moldings on either side of the building, the classical hoods over the centrally placed doorway on the gable end, and the windows on the tower. In 1903, this tower was added to the facility, altering the exterior of the building, which had its beginnings as a Meeting House. The Meeting House style is characterized by a 1 ½ storey 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.
A striking feature of this building's original features is a closed belfry, with a low fence-like moulding that runs around the perimeter of the tower. This, however, has been changed over time, and is now capped by a low-pitch four-sided cap. The building is also now covered in vinyl siding and has asphalt shingles, both not original to the building's construction. Another interesting feature of the building is that it includes only two gothic windows on either side, positioned near the corners of the building. Most churches of this timeframe and style feature three evenly spaced windows of this size and style on each side.
Information provided by M. Allen Gibson, "Churches by the Sea," Chronicle Herald, April 18, 1987.
The congregation initially met in the local schoolhouse, which was built in circa 1856. It was not until about 1872 that a lot of land was given by William Wagner to the community, for the construction of a Baptist church. E. Staret was the chief carpenter, who completed the building for a dedication service on June 30, 1873. This congregation was a plant from the New Germany Baptist church, and formally constituted itself on September 4, 1895.
Little is known in regards to the fate of the building constructed in 1873; it either was destroyed by fire or the congregation grew out of the building. This led to the current (2023) building being constructed in 1902. This building is a mixture of Classical and Gothic Revival styles, evident in the Gothic windows and eyebrow moldings on either side of the building, the classical hoods over the centrally placed doorway on the gable end, and the windows on the tower. In 1903, this tower was added to the facility, altering the exterior of the building, which had its beginnings as a Meeting House. The Meeting House style is characterized by a 1 ½ storey 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.
A striking feature of this building's original features is a closed belfry, with a low fence-like moulding that runs around the perimeter of the tower. This, however, has been changed over time, and is now capped by a low-pitch four-sided cap. The building is also now covered in vinyl siding and has asphalt shingles, both not original to the building's construction. Another interesting feature of the building is that it includes only two gothic windows on either side, positioned near the corners of the building. Most churches of this timeframe and style feature three evenly spaced windows of this size and style on each side.
Information provided by M. Allen Gibson, "Churches by the Sea," Chronicle Herald, April 18, 1987.
Files
Collection
Citation
Avery Jackson, “New Canada United Baptist Church,” Atlantic Baptist Built Heritage Project , accessed May 3, 2024, https://atlanticbaptistheritage.omeka.net/items/show/446.