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 St. Paul's United Church - Fredericton, NB Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 45° 57.602 W 066° 38.726
19T E 682449 N 5092302
Parks Canada has decreed this church a "fine representative example of the High Victorian Gothic Revival Style". We wholeheartedly agree.
Waymark Code: WMPQ3Q
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Date Posted: 10/05/2015
Views: 8
We suppose that " High Victorian" could be interpreted as " Tall Victorian", as many High Victorian churches were built with excessively tall spires. St. Paul's is no exception, having been given a very tall and slender copper clad octagonal spire standing atop the high stone bell tower. The base of the spire becomes square, with four little gablets, one each side.
St. Paul's United is one of the handful of nineteenth century stone churches remaining in Fredericton and is one of the most recent of the group having been built in 1886.
Designated a national historic site on February 23, 1990, its CNHS plaque, mounted at the front of the church, reads as follows:
Built in 1886, Paul's is a fine example of High Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, fashionable in Canada during the second half of the 19th century. The style is marked by a bold and vigorous approach to design, which freely interprets earlier Gothic precedents. Typical stylistic features in this former Presbyterian church are the soaring corner tower, intersecting roof ridges and richly varied details, including the rusticated and polychromed stonework. The rose window, derived from the French Gothic, indicates a new openness toward non-English design sources at this time.<
St. Paul’s United Church History
The history of St. Paul’s United Church begins in 1829 when a public meeting was held to discuss the building of a Presbyterian Church in Fredericton. In 1830 the first worship service was held and in 1832, ... the church was incorporated.
When St. Paul’s celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1882, plans were under way for a new building. To make way for its construction, the Old Kirk was moved to the site now occupied by Fraser Memorial Hall. Four years later, on January 10, 1886, the new St. Paul’s was dedicated. This is the church building we still use today.
Although the union of Methodist, Congregational and Presbyterian churches had been discussed since 1912, it was not until 1925 that the Act of Union came into effect and St. Paul’s became a United Church of Canada.
In 1932 St. Paul’s marked its 100th anniversary. A unique feature of Anniversary Sunday was the first radio broadcast of a church service in the Maritimes. In 1947 the current organ — a three-keyboard Casavant — was installed and dedicated to the memory of the men and women lost in two World Wars.
One of the outstanding features of St. Paul’s is its beautiful stained glass memorial windows installed by families of the congregation and which, over time, have replaced most of the original windows made of diamond-shaped leaded glass. The Johnston window on the east wall of the balcony is the only stained glass window installed when the church was built.
In 1990 St. Paul’s was designated a national historic site by the National Historic Sites and Monuments Board as a fine example of the High Victorian Gothic Revival Style. The sanctuary, the largest in downtown Fredericton, seats more than 1000 and is a popular venue for concerts.
From St. Paul’s United
St. Paul's United Church
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
A severely handsome example of the High Victorian Gothic Revival style, St. Paul’s United Church National Historic Site of Canada features the bold muscularity of the style, meshing historical revival details from several periods, richly varied and textured materials, and a voluminous interior designed for excellent acoustics. Located in downtown Fredericton, New Brunswick, the church with its tall spire is a city landmark. Official recognition refers to the building on it legal property as of 1990.
HERITAGE VALUE
St. Paul’s United Church was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1990 because:
- it is a fine representative example of the High Victorian Gothic Revival Style.
Fashionable in Canada during the second half of the 19th century, the High Victorian Gothic Revival style is marked by a bold and vigorous approach to design, which freely interprets earlier Gothic precedents. This former Presbyterian church, built in 1886, features typical stylistic features including a soaring corner tower, intersecting roof ridges, richly varied details, and rusticated and polychrome stonework. The rose window, derived from the French Gothic, indicates a new openness toward non-English design sources at this time. The huge interior well is surrounded on three sides by a capacious sloping balcony and features pews arranged in a semi-circle so that they face the pulpit and the large Casavant organ. The sumptuous interior decor includes rich Gothic-inspired woodwork, decorative painting, stained glass, and a vaulted ceiling.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
- those aspects which speak to the High Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, namely the two-storey elevations, the steeply pitched roofs, triple portal, the corner tower with its tall spire, the varied textures of the stone masonry and the use of polychromy notable in the dark stone stringcourses, foundations, quoins, and window surrounds;
- the interior plan with large auditory hall, pews and canted balcony arranged in a semi-circle;
- the Gothic-inspired interior decor with stained glass windows, historically derived detailing including the rose window, rich woodwork, decorative painting and vaulted ceiling.
From Historic Places Canada
Address of Tower:
500 George Street
Fredericton, NB Canada
E3B 1H5
Still Operational: yes
Number of bells in tower?: 1
Relevant website?: [Web Link]
Rate tower: 
Tours or visits allowed in tower?: Unknown
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Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the tower taken while you were there. Please also record how you came to be at this tower and any other interesting information you learned about it while there.
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