Kingston United Baptist Church

Kingston United Baptist Church

Kingston United Baptist Church

Eastern Valley

Nova Scotia

Kings

695 Main Street, Kingston, N.S.

Active

Originally built circa 1829, then 1915, current building built 1936.

Although separate church bodies, the churches of North Kingston and Kingston are intimately related. The Kingston Baptist Church was organized in 1894, during which time North Kingston remained a part of the Lower Aylesford pastorate. During the same year, over 70 members residing in the North Kingston vicinity left the Lower Aylesford pastorate to join the Kingston Baptist congregation. After 1894, the group that had left Lower Aylesford began to conduct services at the IOOF Hall in Kingston and later joined forces with Melvern Square to support a pastor. 

The early Baptists in the Kingston area established their first church around 1800. Services were held in schoolhouses and private homes around this time. In 1829 the organization of the first Baptist church in the Aylesford Township took place, consisting of Lower Aylesford and Upper Wilmot. By 1872 the church had expanded to such a degree that it divided into two churches, of which the South Aylesford section included Tremont, Kingston Village, Greenwood, Harmony, and North Kingston. By 1894 another division took place and North Kingston was organized into a new church known as the Kingston Baptist Church. From the time of its organization in 1894 until 1912 the Kingston Church was served by the Upper Aylesford Church and worship was held in the North Kingston Church.

A new church was built in Kingston in 1915; the builder was Mr. Charlie Welton. It was dedicated on January 2nd, 1916, and served the community until 1934 when fire broke out and it was destroyed. The present building (2022) was built in 1936 and dedicated December 20th of that year. This building is typical in terms of style for its time; it is a prime example and architectural movement congregations were making in the first part of the twentieth century from a symmetrical design with the steeple centrally placed on the gable end, in a style that was usually Gothic or Greek Revival, to a church that was more Classical in design with an asymmetrical design. One of the most eye-catching features of the exterior of this church is the off-centre open-cage classical design belfry and two rectangular and large rounded top stain glass windows on the front façade. The belltower is built, almost completely, into the main structure of the church, rather than protruding further out of the building.

Information provided by Churches of Kings County Nova Scotia and the church.