Life Branch Church, formerly First Baptist Church Dartmouth
Title
Life Branch Church, formerly First Baptist Church Dartmouth
Creator
Avery Jackson
Source
Information provided by the Church and the Atlantic Baptist Archives
Church Name
Life Branch Church, formerly First Baptist Church Dartmouth
Church Association
Halifax Baptist Association
Province
Nova Scotia
County
Halifax County
Address
10 Lancaster Dr, Dartmouth, NS
Status
Active
Date
Built 1844, then 1888, then 1922, then 2021
Historical Information
The First Baptist Church Dartmouth had its beginnings in 1843, and the following year constructed their first building. This initial building was somewhat small, and built in the Meeting House Style. The Meeting House style was typical of Baptist and Congregational congregations around this time frame in Atlantic Canada, due to its simplistic and rather quick-to-build design. 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. This building would have been covered in either wooden clad boards, or cedar shakes, and had a roof covered in wooden shingles. Heating sources during this time consisted of either a wood or coal burning stove, with illumination within the building coming from either whale oil or kerosene oil lamps.
As the congregation grew, there was a need for a newer and more accommodating building. On the same property as the 1844 building, a new building was dedicated on January 4th of 1888. This building stood where the Somme Branch 31 of the Royal Canadian Legion is located now. The earlier 1844 building was moved further back on the site and used for Sunday School and Prayer Meetings. Electric lights were added to the building in 1903, water and sewer in 1904. This building was an early example of a transitional shift in Baptist church architecture in Atlantic Canada, during the mid-to-late-nineteenth to early twentieth century, which saw Baptist congregations moving away from a symmetrically designed church, often with a three bay facade and centrally placed tower on the gable end, to one that was asymmetrical, with a tower and main entrance located on the side of the building. This building was made of stone, and had hints of Gothic Revival architecture.
In 1917, the Halifax Explosion destroyed the King Street building on December 6th. A large part of the Mont Blanc, probably a boiler, crashed through the church roof, which led to the structure collapsing the following day.
Now known as the Sanctuary Theatre since 2022, your eye will undoubtedly be drawn to the deep stage, and acoustic arches, once used to amplify a grand Casavant pipe organ, the wide capacity wooden church pews with gently sloping theater floors and, of course, the artist crafted stained glass windows; a gift from various Dartmouth families and parishioners over the years. This building is a striking piece of Baptist church architecture, and is a prime example of the ample funds in city centers during the roaring twenties, where no expense was spared to create elegant places of worship. From its bold stone facade, to its peaked roof, which is actually shaped like a cross from above, this building is an unmissable landmark in Dartmouth, centrally located downtown.
In 2003, eight acres of land were bought in the Lancaster area, with the intent to construct a new facility there. In 2013, the Building in Faith campaign was launched to raise money for the construction of a new facility. In 2021, the congregation finished the construction of this facility, and changed their name to the Life Branch Church. This church marks a transitional shift in Baptist Church architecture, and type of construction in Baptist Churches in Atlantic Canada. Is has adopted a steel frame, concrete, and sheet metal as primary building materials. Throughout the whole construction is uses modern stained glass windows that bring a striking warmth into the building, that would otherwise seem cold from the dark colors and building materials.
Information provided by the Church and the Atlantic Baptist Archives
As the congregation grew, there was a need for a newer and more accommodating building. On the same property as the 1844 building, a new building was dedicated on January 4th of 1888. This building stood where the Somme Branch 31 of the Royal Canadian Legion is located now. The earlier 1844 building was moved further back on the site and used for Sunday School and Prayer Meetings. Electric lights were added to the building in 1903, water and sewer in 1904. This building was an early example of a transitional shift in Baptist church architecture in Atlantic Canada, during the mid-to-late-nineteenth to early twentieth century, which saw Baptist congregations moving away from a symmetrically designed church, often with a three bay facade and centrally placed tower on the gable end, to one that was asymmetrical, with a tower and main entrance located on the side of the building. This building was made of stone, and had hints of Gothic Revival architecture.
In 1917, the Halifax Explosion destroyed the King Street building on December 6th. A large part of the Mont Blanc, probably a boiler, crashed through the church roof, which led to the structure collapsing the following day.
Now known as the Sanctuary Theatre since 2022, your eye will undoubtedly be drawn to the deep stage, and acoustic arches, once used to amplify a grand Casavant pipe organ, the wide capacity wooden church pews with gently sloping theater floors and, of course, the artist crafted stained glass windows; a gift from various Dartmouth families and parishioners over the years. This building is a striking piece of Baptist church architecture, and is a prime example of the ample funds in city centers during the roaring twenties, where no expense was spared to create elegant places of worship. From its bold stone facade, to its peaked roof, which is actually shaped like a cross from above, this building is an unmissable landmark in Dartmouth, centrally located downtown.
In 2003, eight acres of land were bought in the Lancaster area, with the intent to construct a new facility there. In 2013, the Building in Faith campaign was launched to raise money for the construction of a new facility. In 2021, the congregation finished the construction of this facility, and changed their name to the Life Branch Church. This church marks a transitional shift in Baptist Church architecture, and type of construction in Baptist Churches in Atlantic Canada. Is has adopted a steel frame, concrete, and sheet metal as primary building materials. Throughout the whole construction is uses modern stained glass windows that bring a striking warmth into the building, that would otherwise seem cold from the dark colors and building materials.
Information provided by the Church and the Atlantic Baptist Archives
Files
Collection
Citation
Avery Jackson, “Life Branch Church, formerly First Baptist Church Dartmouth,” Atlantic Baptist Built Heritage Project , accessed April 28, 2024, https://atlanticbaptistheritage.omeka.net/items/show/468.