The carpenter Gothic church probably was not architect designed, instead being built either without complete plans or taken from the designs of other churches the builders had known. An interesting touch is the entrance, placed in the side of the bell tower centered on the façade, as opposed to being placed in the front, as is the norm. Unelectrified and probably unheated as well, the church now holds services in the summer only.
Another unusual addition is the placement of a
Chi Rho symbol atop the steeple, an ancient pagan symbol comprised of the two Greek letters
Chi and
Rho, adopted by Christians as their own. Below the Chi Rho the steeple is clad in wood shingles with two bands of triangular shingles. The rest of the church still wears wood shingles, as well, making it somewhat of a rarity. A Rector's Report dated September 14, 1891 noted that a bell was in place in the tower at that time.
Construction on the church began in the summer of 1888, with consecration coming about on October 20, 1890. The 1-1/2 acre parcel of land on which the church sits was bought from the John Currie family next door for twenty dollars. A document outlining the transaction (In the Diocese of NS & PEI Archives, Halifax, NS ) is dated the 26th of March 1887. One family closely associated with the church is that of the Jefferys. Five generations of the Jeffery family have served as Wardens of the church, while many of the family now occupy places in the cemetery.
The cemetery at the rear of the building predates the church by one year, with the first burial, that of Elizabeth Jane Jeffery, infant daughter of Spurgeon & Dorcas (Collicutt) Jeffery, taking place on June 9, 1887. Though apparently still in use, it remains small, with barely twenty headstones to be found.
Holy Trinity Anglican Church
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Alma is a well preserved wood framed and wood shingled structure built by some of the first settlers to the area from 1888-1890. It features a side entrance tower with a spire topped by a Chi Rho symbol. The body of the church has a gable roof and four pointed arch Gothic windows on each of its sides. The back of the building features a chancel with a gable roof.
HERITAGE VALUE
The church is valued for its well preserved carpenter Gothic architecture; for its association with the history of the Anglican church in western PEI; and for its contribution to the community of Alma.
The community of Alma is located four miles northwest of the Town of Alberton in Prince County, PEI. It likely received its name from the September 20, 1854 battle in the Crimean War. Alma was also the name of a ship built in 1854 for James Yeo of Port Hill.
The building was constructed from 1888-1890 as a mission church for the Parish of Alberton. It was consecrated in 1890. The adjacent cemetery was established in 1887. A pioneer Anglican missionary in the area was the Rev. Robert William Dyer (1808-1887). Dyer served for twenty six years as rector of St. Peter's Anglican Church in nearby Alberton. He had left his native England in 1839 for Greenspond, Newfoundland, to work as a teacher and lay reader on behalf of the Colonial and Continental Church Society. He was ordained in 1849 and moved to the Alberton area of PEI in 1859. His extensive diaries are considered a valuable resource for the history of the area. He records that he spent years travelling along the western road, holding services in many of the pioneer households. Although finished after his death, the completion of the Holy Trinity Church was a testament to Dyer's perseverance and success.
The church is also valued for its association with the Jeffery family. The first recorded burial in the adjacent cemetery was that of Elizabeth Jane Jeffery, an infant, on June 9, 1887. Two brothers, George Abel Jeffery (1860-1955) and Stephen Jeffery (1877-1958) would be influenced by Rev. Dyer and called to serve in Christian ministry. Rev. George served in the US states of Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri; while Rev. Stephen would serve in Nova Scotia, the longest term being as rector of Lockeport.
The architectural style of the church has many carpenter Gothic elements. These include its wood frame and wood shingle cladding; the single sash pointed arch Gothic windows; the gable roof; the chancel at the back; and the entrance tower topped by a wood shingled spire. An interesting detail of the spire is the Chi Rho symbol at the apex. This ancient Christian symbol is the first two letters of the word "Christ" in the Greek alphabet.
In recent years, the church has been lovingly restored and remains a landmark in the community of Alma.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
- The rectangular configuration of the nave with gable roof
- The chancel with gable roof
- The brick chimney
- The wood frame and wood shingle cladding
- The single sash pointed arch Gothic windows
- The entrance tower with pointed arch louvres
- The tapered spire with distinct shingle patterns and topped by a Chi Rho symbol
- The location of the church in the community of Alma near the highway and its adjacent cemetery
From Historic Places Canada