Sandy Point United Baptist Church
Title
Sandy Point United Baptist Church
Creator
Avery Jackson
Source
Information provided by the Atlantic Baptist Archives - ‘Churches by the Sea’ binders, November 9, 1974, Chronicle Herald.
Church Name
Sandy Point United Baptist Church
Church Association
Shelburne Association
Province
Nova Scotia
County
Shelburne County
Address
Sandy Point, Shelburne, NS
Status
Demolished
Date
Built 1873
Historical Information
In 1856 the Sandy Point church congregation was organized. An autonomous body, it continued for many years, as a partner with Shelburne in the support of a pastor. Indeed, the minister stationed at Shelburne also served churches at Jordan Falls and Jordan Bay.
The first building to serve the congregation between 1856 to 1873 was 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 new, more accommodating structure. In 1873, the congregation, under the supervision of Rev. E. N. Archibald constructed the last building that would serve their congregation. Archibald was a builder of churches. Not only at Sandy Point, but also at Shelburne and Osborne, places of worship date from the periods of his ministry and so stand as monuments to his ambitious work.
This Baptist church is a prime example of the stylistic shift Baptist churches made in the nineteenth century from the symmetrical design of the meeting house and gothic revival styles , to an unsymmetrical plan with side steeple, usually containing gothic detailing on the wood trim on the steeple and around the windows. The steeple of the church has a small four-pointed roof. The original steeple was much taller, and was removed in 1950. This church has hints of Gothic Revival and Classical architectural elements, evident in the use of saw-tooth trim boards, Gothic Revival windows, and classical windows near the top of the tower. On the right eave-side there are four straight point Gothic Revival windows, with three of the same size and style on the left eave-side. A striking feature of this building is the amount of ornate woodwork present on the exterior of the structure, such as the corner pilaster boards, present across the exterior facades.
The tower of the church facility is very plain, located on the front gable end ornamented with a low hip roof. Entry is made into the building through a door on the left side of the tower. There is one chimney near the front of the building indicating that there was a heat source, for year-round services. On the interior of the building there is a balcony at the back of the sanctuary, where the organ and choir were originally situated. The organ was later moved to the front of the sanctuary in 1894. In 1972 there was a small addition to the rear of the church, due to an apparent increase in use. This, along with the original building, was later covered in white vinyl siding, detracting from the original exterior architectural embellishments.
This church has since closed in the twenty-first century. Its exact location is unknown.
Information provided by M. Allen Gibson, ‘Churches by the Sea,’ Chronicle Herald, November 9, 1974.
The first building to serve the congregation between 1856 to 1873 was 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 new, more accommodating structure. In 1873, the congregation, under the supervision of Rev. E. N. Archibald constructed the last building that would serve their congregation. Archibald was a builder of churches. Not only at Sandy Point, but also at Shelburne and Osborne, places of worship date from the periods of his ministry and so stand as monuments to his ambitious work.
This Baptist church is a prime example of the stylistic shift Baptist churches made in the nineteenth century from the symmetrical design of the meeting house and gothic revival styles , to an unsymmetrical plan with side steeple, usually containing gothic detailing on the wood trim on the steeple and around the windows. The steeple of the church has a small four-pointed roof. The original steeple was much taller, and was removed in 1950. This church has hints of Gothic Revival and Classical architectural elements, evident in the use of saw-tooth trim boards, Gothic Revival windows, and classical windows near the top of the tower. On the right eave-side there are four straight point Gothic Revival windows, with three of the same size and style on the left eave-side. A striking feature of this building is the amount of ornate woodwork present on the exterior of the structure, such as the corner pilaster boards, present across the exterior facades.
The tower of the church facility is very plain, located on the front gable end ornamented with a low hip roof. Entry is made into the building through a door on the left side of the tower. There is one chimney near the front of the building indicating that there was a heat source, for year-round services. On the interior of the building there is a balcony at the back of the sanctuary, where the organ and choir were originally situated. The organ was later moved to the front of the sanctuary in 1894. In 1972 there was a small addition to the rear of the church, due to an apparent increase in use. This, along with the original building, was later covered in white vinyl siding, detracting from the original exterior architectural embellishments.
This church has since closed in the twenty-first century. Its exact location is unknown.
Information provided by M. Allen Gibson, ‘Churches by the Sea,’ Chronicle Herald, November 9, 1974.
Files
Collection
Citation
Avery Jackson, “Sandy Point United Baptist Church,” Atlantic Baptist Built Heritage Project , accessed April 29, 2024, https://atlanticbaptistheritage.omeka.net/items/show/488.