Midgic Baptist Church
Title
Midgic Baptist Church
Creator
Avery Jackson
Source
Information provided by the Baptist Heritage Center, Moncton, New Brunswick.
Image provided by Atlantic Baptist Archives - D1900.039/225
Image provided by Atlantic Baptist Archives - D1900.039/225
Church Name
Midgic Baptist Church
Church Association
Westmorland - Kent Association
Province
New Brunswick
County
Westmorland County
Address
80 Goose Lake Rd, Midgic, NB
Status
Active
Date
Originally built 1859, current building built 1897
Historical Information
The Midgic Church was organized in 1859 when a group of members received their 'letters of dismissal' from the Beulah Congregation. The 'Letter of Dismission' stated that the member was in good standing in the 'dismissing' church and was free to join the 'receiving' church.
It is believed that the first church was 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. This building served the congregation until around 1897, when the current (2023) church structure was built.
The 1897 structure marks a transitional shift in Baptist church architecture 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. This asymmetrical design features three main gables, one on each side of the front facade, as well as one located on the front facade. The steeple is nestled between the front facade gable and the one on the right side of the structure. These images depict the 1897 building and show the original steeple cap that was replaced in the 1980s. This was the second building built by the Midgic congregation.
This church was designed with Gothic Revival architectural embellishments, evident in the use of the gothic windows on the gable ends, which can be noticed in Image 2, depicting the interior.
Over the years the exterior and interior have maintained much of their original architectural embellishments and features. The steeple cap has been changed and now features one that is much taller than the original crown depicted in pictures 3 and 4. There also appears to have been a rear addition with a small gable protruding from the roof line on the eave-side.
Information provided by the Baptist Heritage Center, Crandall University, Moncton, New Brunswick.
Image provided by Atlantic Baptist Archives - D1900.039/225.
It is believed that the first church was 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. This building served the congregation until around 1897, when the current (2023) church structure was built.
The 1897 structure marks a transitional shift in Baptist church architecture 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. This asymmetrical design features three main gables, one on each side of the front facade, as well as one located on the front facade. The steeple is nestled between the front facade gable and the one on the right side of the structure. These images depict the 1897 building and show the original steeple cap that was replaced in the 1980s. This was the second building built by the Midgic congregation.
This church was designed with Gothic Revival architectural embellishments, evident in the use of the gothic windows on the gable ends, which can be noticed in Image 2, depicting the interior.
Over the years the exterior and interior have maintained much of their original architectural embellishments and features. The steeple cap has been changed and now features one that is much taller than the original crown depicted in pictures 3 and 4. There also appears to have been a rear addition with a small gable protruding from the roof line on the eave-side.
Information provided by the Baptist Heritage Center, Crandall University, Moncton, New Brunswick.
Image provided by Atlantic Baptist Archives - D1900.039/225.
Files
Collection
Citation
Avery Jackson, “Midgic Baptist Church,” Atlantic Baptist Built Heritage Project , accessed May 3, 2024, https://atlanticbaptistheritage.omeka.net/items/show/481.