Founded in 1814, the present Brunswick Street Baptist was designed by St. John architect D.E. Dunham in the Gothic style. Completed in 1883, the large stone church replaced the wooden 1840 building which burned in 1882.
At the front of the building is a large rose window above the entry and a tower on each corner. The entrance itself is quite impressive, consisting of double wood doors set in a shallow portico of both purple and brown stone. Above the door is a glassed Gothic arched transom with a quatrefoil window and a pair of round windows. Surrounding the entrance is a heavy brown stone frame in a Gothic arch, above which the portico ends in a gable top.
The south tower is more of a large finial, while the north tower is a proper bell tower with a very tall steeple above. The entire building is built of purple-grey sandstone with brown sandstone or freestone quoins and trim.
The first Canadian Protestant ministers were members of this church, Reverend and Mrs. Richard E. Burpee. They spent several years in Burma ministering to the natives until forced to return due to poor health. They became only the first of hundreds of such missionaries sent abroad by that denomination.
Across Brunswick Street on York is the Brunswick Street Baptist Church. It replaced a wooden church built in 1840; that one burned down in 1882.
This present Gothic style church was designed by D.E. Dunham, an architect in Saint John, NB. It was built with purple-grey sandstone from a quarry near Fredericton.
Finished in 1883, its interior has the typical Baptist semi-circular pews facing the pulpit, and a large balcony. There is much beautiful woodwork inside.
From the Fredericton Heritage Trust