St. Mary's Anglican Church in Auburn to celebrate 225th anniversary
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N 45° 01.093 W 064° 52.117
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One of the oldest in Nova Scotia, St. Mary's church was constructed and consecrated in 1790 and was the second Anglican church to be consecrated in British North America. The first, St. Paul's in Halifax, is just 40 years older.
Waymark Code: WMPHCH
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Date Posted: 09/01/2015
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member saopaulo1
Views: 1

When the congregation of was St. Mary's preparing for the church's 225th anniversary celebration, CBC News was on the scene to report the story. After all, there are not many churches celebrating their 225th in any given year. The story is reproduced in part below.

Remarkably unaltered since its construction, though the church has undergone changes in its 225 years, the exterior appearance remains much as it was when built. Designed and built by Master Builder William Matthews, the design is closely patterned after the buildings of English architect Sir Christopher Wren. His designs, done in stone, have been adapted here to be applied to a structure made entirely of wood.

The church is known for its association with the first Bishop of Nova Scotia, Charles Inglis, and even retains the pew where he once sat. For many years Inglis live on an estate in Auburn and was closely associated with the construction of St. Mary's.

The cemetery, which completely surrounds the church, is the burial place of a great many of the Loyalist pioneers of Auburn. There are now several hundred burials in the cemetery, which is still active.
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St. Mary's Anglican Church in Auburn
to celebrate 225th anniversary
By Richard Cuthbertson, CBC News Posted: Aug 15, 2015 8:00 AM AT

This weekend, St. Mary's is celebrating its 225th anniversary and on Sunday a special service is being held that Archbishop Fred Hiltz, the primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, will attend.

The church, a provincially-protected heritage site in Auburn, is one of the oldest in Nova Scotia and was the second Anglican church to be consecrated in British North America.

It also remains very much a place of worship, and services are held each Sunday for a small congregation.

It has survived where other churches were sold or knocked down.

There have been some expansions, but otherwise St. Mary's has undergone remarkably few alterations over two centuries. Much of it is still original, from the 12-inch thick support timbers, to the Palladian windows, to the prayer board with the Ten Commandments. The pews are still intact, including the one where Charles Inglis, the first bishop of Nova Scotia, sat.

Even the plaster remains, and has a story all its own. It's been told that the builders were running short on lime, so mussel shells were collected on a beach near Morden. These were crushed and used to supplement the plaster.

It has come close to destruction, however. In 1981 the steeple was struck by lightning and lit on fire.

Freda Small, a member of the congregation, was one of those who rushed to the scene. The flames were creeping down and the local fire department didn't have equipment that could reach high enough. But firefighters arrived from Kentville and saved the building.
Read more at CBC News
Type of publication: Television

When was the article reported?: 08/15/2015

Publication: CBC News

Article Url: [Web Link]

Is Registration Required?: no

How widespread was the article reported?: national

News Category: Arts/Culture

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