Clarence United Baptist Church

Clarence United Baptist Church

Clarence United Baptist Church

Annapolis- Digby

Nova Scotia

Annapolis

2659 Clarence Road, Clarence, NS

Active

Originally Built before 1810, current building 1853

The church body at Clarence first began in 1810, long before a church building was erected. In 1827, the “North Meeting House”, in Clarence, and “South Meeting House”, in Paradise, were built to house the two churches that resulted from the original Clarence congregation. Services were held alternately in the two buildings. The two “meeting houses” were eventually replaced in 1853 (Clarence) and 1876 (Paradise) by new church edifices. Although the building was owned at one point by the “Paradise and Clarence Baptist Church,” the Paradise building has since been sold and is currently privately owned; however, the Clarence building remains a house of worship.

A site of worship in Clarence can be traced back to the Reverend Dr, Thomas Wood, an Anglican missionary who was the first individual to create a dictionary between the English and Mi’kmaq languages. Wood owned this property in the 1760’s and it is the first land grant he owned in this region of Nova Scotia. He was known to have travelled through this region and primarily did missionary work with the Indigenous populations and settler populations in the area.

This land grant was later sold a few months prior to Wood’s death. Along with Wood’s death there was very little travel by Anglican missionaries to the Clarence, which was originally named the “Back Settlement.” This led to dissenter populations forming a Congregationalist church housed in the “North Meeting House.” This building was “rather longer than wide, with the pulpit being set up high with the minister well shut in, the pews were also straight back with doors” – S. N. Jackson 1910

This building was found to be too small for the congregation and it was decided in the 1850’s to replace it by the current building (2021). This building was built by C. B. Clark, a local, self-taught architect who also built many other gothic revival buildings throughout Clarence and the Annapolis Valley.

The building built in 1853, is best described as being an impressive fixture in the community of Central Clarence that is atypical for its time in terms of its architectural design and embellishments--a blend of classical and gothic styles.

The main body of the Clarence United Baptist Church building is relatively simple and uncluttered; a one and a half storey wood frame construction that outlines the temple pediment characteristic of the Greek Revival architectural style with a three-bay façade, gothic style tracery windows with label moldings and narrow pilaster or corner boards, typical of many country churches. Added after 1901, the most striking architectural embellishment of the Clarence United Baptist Church is the central open cage belfry tower with crenellated or notched walls and four corner spires. Prior to 1902, the bell tower was not an open-cage belltower; it had a smaller gothic window, like that found directly below the bell tower. The style of the church was strictly Gothic Revival in style prior to Classical embellishments being added with the addition of a 2.5-ton bell, donated by the Doering Family.

In the 1890’s, a back vestry was added. This room in the church still maintains many original features, including wooden moldings and a 19th-century tin ceiling. Directly behind this addition is a kitchen area added in the 1960’s. Originally designed to house a kitchen and a pastor’s office, it was decided a full-sized kitchen would be of better use.

Around 2010, an extensive renovation and restoration project was undertaken by the congregation; the belltower was made structurally sound again and supports were put in the sanctuary to support the steeple, after it was discovered that the north side of the belltower did not have supports and was leaning four inches towards the north. Aorund 2015 the central window on the steeple was replaced with an exact replica, and two years later the stained glass windows were all repainted and re-caulked. Metal plates were put in under the legs of the bell, and the pillars on the steeple repainted. In 2019 the crown on the steeple was refurbished due to extensive rot. In 2021 the back additions from 1891 and the 1960’s had black steel put on replacing asphalt shingles, to match the rest of the building.

Currently (2021) this building is still owned by the Clarence United Baptist Church congregation, which works with the Clarence Community Club to help maintain the structure. The congregation is still active and there has been talking about joining with the Lawrencetown and Paradise Baptist Churches at their facility in Lawrencetown for regular services.

The Clarence United Baptist Church is a Municipal Heritage Property registered by the Municipality of the County of Annapolis. Officially Registered August 28, 2014.

Information provided by the church and Registered Heritage Properties of Annapolis County website