River Hebert United Baptist Church
Title
River Hebert United Baptist Church
Creator
Avery Jackson
Church Name
River Hebert United Baptist Church
Church Association
Cumberland Association
Province
Nova Scotia
County
Cumberland County
Address
59 Branch Road, River Hébert, NS
Status
Active
Date
Built 1850
Historical Information
The year 2020 marked the celebration of 170 years for River Hebert Baptist Church. Reverend Samuel McCully (1773-1849) was traveling the circuit from present-day Nappan, where he resided, following the settlement pattern- Lower Maccan, River Hebert, and Minudie,in 1927. At this time, there were only one or two Baptists west of the Maccan River. Slowly he prompted interest and from 1844 grew a congregation in River Hebert. The Baptist congregation had been gathering in a log school nearby. In 1850, they moved into their church building, which is still the house of worship for an active Baptist congregation today (2023).
The initial design of this building 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.
In 1906, the church saw the addition of a vestry (which can be noticed in the ell addition on the right side of the structure). In 1916, the parsonage of the church burned.
This church is a prime example of a Baptist Meeting House built with hints of Classical and Greek Revival architecture elements, evident in the eyebrow trim boards on the classical windows, corner pilaster boards, and return eaves on the window, on the vestry roof. The addition of the vestry in 1906, was built in a manner to not detract from the architectural detailings of the main meeting house, and was built using the same architectural elements as the main building. This building is in impeccable shape for its age, still maintains much of its original architectural detail on the exterior, and now has a black steel roof, which does not detract from the heritage value of this property.
Information provided by M. Allen Gibson, Churches by the Sea, Chronicle Herald, Jan 29, 1955.
The initial design of this building 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.
In 1906, the church saw the addition of a vestry (which can be noticed in the ell addition on the right side of the structure). In 1916, the parsonage of the church burned.
This church is a prime example of a Baptist Meeting House built with hints of Classical and Greek Revival architecture elements, evident in the eyebrow trim boards on the classical windows, corner pilaster boards, and return eaves on the window, on the vestry roof. The addition of the vestry in 1906, was built in a manner to not detract from the architectural detailings of the main meeting house, and was built using the same architectural elements as the main building. This building is in impeccable shape for its age, still maintains much of its original architectural detail on the exterior, and now has a black steel roof, which does not detract from the heritage value of this property.
Information provided by M. Allen Gibson, Churches by the Sea, Chronicle Herald, Jan 29, 1955.
Files
Collection
Citation
Avery Jackson, “River Hebert United Baptist Church,” Atlantic Baptist Built Heritage Project , accessed May 1, 2024, https://atlanticbaptistheritage.omeka.net/items/show/489.