Guysborough United Baptist Church
Title
Guysborough United Baptist Church
Creator
Avery Jackson
Source
Information provided by the Canso United Baptist Church, Atlantic Baptist Archives, and Guysborough Historical Society.
Church Name
Guysborough United Baptist Church
Church Association
Northeast Nova Association
Province
Nova Scotia
County
Guysborough County
Address
21 NS-16, Guysborough, NS
Status
Active
Date
Originally built 1850, current building 1902
Historical Information
The Guysborough Baptist Church congregation was formed in 1829; however, construction on a Baptist meeting house, used solely for religious services, was not started until 1848. The structure was in use by January 1850. This building was constructed in the Meeting House style, which was typical of Baptist congregations around this time frame in Atlantic Canada. 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. The congregation, within the span of a few decades, quickly outgrew this facility.
A new church was begun in 1900, dedicated October 26, 1902. This current (2023) church is a prime example of the transitional phase in Baptist churches 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. However, for this church the exterior would suggest it was not not built in the Akron layout. This church is a striking piece of Baptist church architecture in Atlantic Canada, for it features four gables, one on each side of the church. The front facade, which faces the street, features a large, ornate stained glass window centrally placed, along with the tower, positioned on the right side of the structure and contains the main entrance. One can access the church through three different routes, the first located on the front facade via the tower, the other on the eave-side of the building through the backside of the tower, and the other through the back entrance near the back of the eave side.
One of the most striking features of this building is the conical shaped spire of the tower. Below this cone is a vented section of the tower that contains a bell. The church appears to have an upstairs section, located near the rear of the church, evident in a dormer with curtains from the parking lot. The rear gable end of the church features a slant in the roof line, with the main peak of the building being situated directly above this dormer on the eave-side.
This church was once part of the Canso-Half Island Cove-Queensport Field of United Baptist Churches, and the Chedabucto Pastoral Charge along with Boylston, Guysborough, and Half Island Cove churches.
Information provided by the Canso United Baptist Church, Atlantic Baptist Archives, and Guysborough Historical Society.
A new church was begun in 1900, dedicated October 26, 1902. This current (2023) church is a prime example of the transitional phase in Baptist churches 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. However, for this church the exterior would suggest it was not not built in the Akron layout. This church is a striking piece of Baptist church architecture in Atlantic Canada, for it features four gables, one on each side of the church. The front facade, which faces the street, features a large, ornate stained glass window centrally placed, along with the tower, positioned on the right side of the structure and contains the main entrance. One can access the church through three different routes, the first located on the front facade via the tower, the other on the eave-side of the building through the backside of the tower, and the other through the back entrance near the back of the eave side.
One of the most striking features of this building is the conical shaped spire of the tower. Below this cone is a vented section of the tower that contains a bell. The church appears to have an upstairs section, located near the rear of the church, evident in a dormer with curtains from the parking lot. The rear gable end of the church features a slant in the roof line, with the main peak of the building being situated directly above this dormer on the eave-side.
This church was once part of the Canso-Half Island Cove-Queensport Field of United Baptist Churches, and the Chedabucto Pastoral Charge along with Boylston, Guysborough, and Half Island Cove churches.
Information provided by the Canso United Baptist Church, Atlantic Baptist Archives, and Guysborough Historical Society.
Files
Collection
Citation
Avery Jackson, “Guysborough United Baptist Church,” Atlantic Baptist Built Heritage Project , accessed May 1, 2024, https://atlanticbaptistheritage.omeka.net/items/show/450.