Evergreen United Baptist Church, West Paradise

Evergreen United Baptist Church, West Paradise

Evergreen United Baptist Church, West Paradise

Annapolis- Digby

Nova Scotia

Annapolis

5247 Highway 201, West Paradise, N. S.

Active

Constructed 1860

In 1853 a meeting was held to consider the possibility of constructing a schoolhouse to serve the community of Evergreen. From the plans, the estimated cost was 120 pounds. A site was eventually selected on the north side of the road, east of Simeon Daniel’s homestead. By 1860 the structure was underway. All inhabitants located between Samuel Daniels’ and William Morse’s farm were responsible for the expense. The schoolhouse has since been converted into the Baptist Church at Evergreen.

Originally known as The Central School House, construction of the Evergreen United Baptist Church was completed between 1859. The building, located in the community of West Paradise, was used for public worship, town business, a singing school, for lectures and as a meeting place for a debating society. Its dedication for use solely as a church came in 1887. The Evergreen United Baptist Church is a single storey building constructed on a granite fieldstone foundation which typifies the balance and symmetry characteristic of the Gothic Revival architectural style. Examples of this style can be found in the use of a traditional rectangular building form with a gable end roof and symmetrical door and window placement. The windows are a feature that stands out on the building. The building has decorative tracery windows along the sides and above the front entrance. A distinctive flair is given to the exterior of the structure thanks to its board and batten cladding. With a few exceptions, very little has changed in the historic appearance of the Evergreen United Baptist Church.

The building has been run and maintained by the Paradise Baptist congregation for many years. After the sale of the former Paradise United Baptist Church around 2019, the congregation used this facility for their Sunday services. This church was only used every Sunday for a few months because the Paradise and Lawrencetown Baptist congregations decided to hold services together in the Lawrencetown Baptist Church.

Services are now only held in the Evergreen Baptist Church for special services a couple times a year; these services are only held and used by the the Paradise Baptist congregation.

NOTE: The church only hosts irregular “special services” once or twice a year, prior to the joining of Paradise and Lawrencetown the church was used for a few months every Sunday by the Paradise congregation. Since the COVID-19 pandemic no services have been held here.

Information provided by: Registered Heritage Properties of Annapolis County website