Holy Trinity Anglican Church - Bridgewater, NS
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member T0SHEA
N 44° 22.353 W 064° 30.961
20T E 379217 N 4914370
Partially built in 1854, the standing frame of what would have become Holy Trinity was blown down in 1855. Rebuilding commenced in 1856, with consecration of the church finally occurring on June 12, 1858.
Waymark Code: WMPJTM
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Date Posted: 09/09/2015
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Marine Biologist
Views: 2
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The first church built in Bridgwater was the worship site of Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Lutherans from 1832 until each congregation built its own church, beginning with this one, begun in 1854. This church has been in continuous use for 157 years as of 2015. Still wearing its clapboard siding, the Gothic Revival church has undergone one major change it its history, with the present bell tower being added in 1889. The chancel was enlarged in the same year. The bell tower houses a bell donated by Judge Mather Byles DesBrisay, founder of the DesBrisay museum, which was initially housed in a gallery located where the tower now stands.

In the churchyard is a small cemetery, long out of use and now a part of it neglected and overgrown. There are just under 100 known burials in the cemetery, but much fewer headstones are to be found today. The first known burial was that of Elizabeth Ann Aitken, who died February 28, 1867 aged 79 years. She was a native of Aberdeen, Scotland and the eldest daughter of the late Rev. Roger Aitken, Rector of St. John's church, Lunenburg. The last known burial is that of M. E. (Julian) Oakes, who died December 27, 1903, aged 79 years.

One of the Church's proudest possessions is their Casavant Frères organ. Designated Opus 164, it was installed in 1902 with 2 manuals, 3 divisions, 8 stops, 7 registers, 7 ranks and 418 pipes. Manual compass is 58 notes. Pedal compass is 27 notes.

The first church in Bridgewater was built c. 1832, and called the Union Church – it housed the congregations of Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Lutherans in Bridgewater. Unfinished and exposed to the elements and local farmyard creatures, it was dubbed the "Lord’s Barn" by locals. In the early 1850s, this was sold to the Baptists, and they used it as their meeting place until a new structure was built in 1922. Each of the three congregations each consequently built their own church over the next several years. The Lutheran’s built St. Paul’s at the corner of Pleasant and Phoenix Streets c. 1858 , the current structure dating from 1906-1907 when a replacement was needed, as the original one had been struck by lightning and burned down. The Presbyterians built their church at the corner of Maple and St. Andrews Streets c. 1852, building a much grander building in 1874, both of which were demolished in the latter half of the 20th century.
From the Town of Bridgewater
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Holy Trinity Anglican Church
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
Holy Trinity Anglican Church is a wooden church built in the Gothic Revival style. Located on Alexandra Avenue, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, it sits close to the street with a small cemetery behind it and along one side. Both the building and the cemetery lands are included in the heritage designation.

HERITAGE VALUE
Construction of the church was begun circa 1854, but re-commenced in 1856 after the initial frame was blown down in heavy winds the previous year. The Church of the Holy Trinity was consecrated on June 12, 1858, and remains to this day a landmark in the community, and a testament to the dedication of its people.

The historical value is evident in its continued use as a place of worship in the community for over a century and a half. While the congregation had existed for some time before the building, and as part of the large parish of Lunenburg, the construction of the church catalysed the establishment of the current parish in Bridgewater, and continues as an expression of spiritual values within the community. As Nova Scotia promotes the preservation of wooden churches, it is evident that the dedication of the congregation to the re-building of the church in 1856 is the same dedication which has brought about its recognition as a heritage building.

The architectural value of this building lies in its interesting Gothic Revival elements as well as its age and structural integrity. The bell tower as it is seen today was built in place of the original gallery to house the bell which was donated by Judge Mather Byles DesBrisay, founder of the local museum. This change occurred in 1889, and in the same year the chancel was enlarged. The church proudly houses a pipe organ built by the famous Casavant brothers and installed just after the turn of the twentieth century. Many items in the church, such as the altar, pulpit, baptismal font, and stained-glass windows, to name a few, were donated by parishoners and are examples of their commitment to ensuring the adornment and proper care of this beautiful building. Any alterations which have been made over the years have in no way negatively affected its consistency of style or architectural beauty.

CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
The exterior character-defining elements of Holy Trinity Anglican Church include: - all elements related to its Gothic Revival style, including lancet windows and tracery, board and batten cladding, and steeply pitched gable roof; - all original materials dating to the time of construction, including stone foundation and wood frame;
- all headstones in the cemetery which surrounds the church;
- wood panel doors with decorative fretwork;
- multi-faceted chancel with stained glass windows;
- bell tower, with its octagonal, two-tiered, slightly bellcast roof, and decorative wood shingles, as well as the bell which was donated by Judge M. B. DesBrisay.

The interior character-defining elements of Holy Trinity Anglican Church include:
- Cassavant pipe organ, built 1902;
- all original wood trim and furnishings, as well as exposed timber framing members.
From Historic Places Canada
Active Church: Yes

School on property: No

Date Built: 01/01/1856

Service Times: 8 AM and 10 AM Sunday

Website: [Web Link]
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