St. Paul's Anglican Church, Church hall and rectory are together on a large lot immediately east of the George Coles Building, the present (ostensibly temporary) seat of the Prince Edward Island Legislative Assembly. All three of the buildings are built of red Island sandstone. While William Critchlow Harris designed the Church and the rectory, it was the design of another well known local architect which was chosen for the hall, that of
Charles Benjamin Chappell (1857-1931).
Of the three, the rectory is the oldest, built in 1888, while the next oldest is the church, built in 1896. The hall followed ten years later, construction of which was begun in 1905 and completed in 1906.
The hall was originally built to replace an older building known as the
Infant School, a school operated primarily to offer education for children of the poor. A new and larger building had become necessary by the early twentieth century, resulting in the construction of the present hall, which was built at a cost of $13,095.45, all raised through fundraising in the community.
[Besides the church] Two other stone buildings are situated on the church land. The smaller one to the south of the church was the rectory built in 1888. This was the first rectory built by the Parish. The larger one to the south-east of the church is the Parish Hall built in 1906 to replace the Infant Schoolroom. This building was extensively renovated in 1968. A chapel was built in the Parish Hall in 1940-1 for the use of Air Force Personnel training in Charlottetown. It is simple in design and has a number of stained glass windows.
From St. Paul's Church
St. Paul's Anglican Church Hall
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
St. Paul's Anglican Church Hall is part of the St. Paul's Anglican Church complex. The Gothic Revival inspired, Island sandstone hall is located on a large lot near St Paul's Church and the Church manse. The designation encompasses the building's exterior and parcel; it does not include the building's interior.
HERITAGE VALUE
The heritage value of St. Paul's Anglican Church Hall lies in its association with the very old Parish of St. Paul's; its fine Gothic Revival influenced architecture; and its importance to the streetscape.
When Prince Edward Island became a separate colony in 1769, 100 Pounds were set aside as a stipend for a Church of England clergyman. Unfortunately, it would be some time before the Anglicans of Charlottetown would have a church to call their own and regular services. The Reverend John Caulfield was appointed rector in 1769, but never set foot on the Island. Reverend John Eagelson, a missionary, held services in many parts of the young colony in 1768 and 1773. Theophilus DesBrisay was appointed rector in September 1774 and after a three year ordeal, he was guaranteed his stipend by the British Government in 1777 and began his work as rector.
The first entry in the Parish records was 21 August 1777. The Parish, at this point without a church, met in Richardson's Coffee House Ballroom until 1790 when Lieutenant Governor Fanning purchased a house and designated one area within for services. In 1795, the first real church constructed for St. Paul's was to the west of the current church, where the Memorial Hall portion of the Confederation Centre of the Arts is situated. It was used for both the Church of England and the Church of Scotland, but was never consecrated. A second church was constructed just south of the present one but it was blown down in a severe windstorm in 1833. Rebuilding began in 1835 and the church was at last consecrated in 1836. Finally, in 1896 the present St. Paul's Anglican Church was constructed. Local architect, William Critchlow Harris was hired to design the beautiful structure and the talented contractors, H. and S. Lowe were obtained to build the church. The first service was held 10 May 1896 and the church was consecrated in July of the same year.
The St. Paul's Anglican Church Hall was built in 1906. The stone building was the design of prominent local architect, Charles Benjamin Chappell. It matched nicely with the church and manse, which are both, made of Island sandstone. Although W.C. Harris designed the Church and the manse, Chappell's design was favoured for this project. The Lowe Brothers who worked on the church were hired to build the new hall. The Lowes also purchased the old Infant Schoolhouse and hauled it off the property.
The new building was built to replace the Infant Schoolhouse, which had been constructed in the 1840s. The Infant School, or kindergarten, was the idea of Captain Orlebar who felt that a school for the poor was needed in Charlottetown. George Hubbard and his family were brought over from England to operate the school. Eventually, it was decided that a new building was necessary. The community got involved in the fundraising with some members being particularly generous. In order to raise the $13,095.45 that it took to build the new building, prominent citizen, Henry J. Cundall offered 1 dollar for every 5 dollars that the Parish raised.
The Parish Hall basement was renovated in 1930, 1956 and 1967. In the 1940s, a chapel was constructed in the building for use by Air Force Personnel, who were training in Prince Edward Island. A later renovation in 1967 was quite extensive. The architect was asked to provide a space that could offer Christian education for the next twenty years. The building is now used as the Parish Hall.
St. Paul's Anglican Church Hall is one of three stone buildings on a large plot of land associated with the St. Paul's Anglican Church. St. Paul's Church and its beautiful stone buildings are a source of pride to its members and the City of Charlottetown. Situated in an area with a great number of historic buildings and churches, St. Paul's Church Hall contributes greatly to the heritage character of the area.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
The following Gothic Revival influenced character-defining elements contribute to the heritage value of St. Paul's Anglican Church Hall:
- The asymmetrical massing of the building
- The style and placement of the Island sandstone exterior, with its Nova Scotia Freestone and stone trim.
- The window and door surrounds and the various designs throughout the exterior
- The cross gable roof with its chimneys at the north and south ends
- The size and placement of the windows, including the arched windows, the tall stained glass arched windows and the rectangular windows
- The size and placement of the doors, including the door of the Prince Street side with its steeply gabled porch and short columns perched atop heavy sandstone
- The buttresses along the sides of the church
- The style and shape of the chimneys on the north and south sides of the building
Other character-defining elements of St. Paul's Church Hall include:
- The location of the hall near the church and rectory on a large lot lined by mature trees
From Historic Places Canada