The steeple has no spire, and likely never has had one. Instead, the steeple has a flat roof with a low fence at its edge, defining a small "Widow's Walk", a very common sight in seaside towns of the time.
Still shingle clad, possibly even in its original shingles, this little one time Methodist Church is the
oldest surviving, largely unaltered, Methodist Church in Nova Scotia. Well cared for during its long history, the church remains in very good condition and remains an active church, holding services every Sunday at 10:00 AM. With
Church Union in Canada in June of 1925, the church became a United Church, later renamed in honour of William Black, the original Methodist minister in what is now Canada.
Built in 1821, the building is surrounded by its cemetery, a burial ground now having received 130 known burials. A new United Church cemetery was begun in about 1938, yet this cemetery continued to receive burials until 1995. The oldest headstone in the cemetery is that of Elizabeth Fraser, who died February 9, 1873 at the age of 60 years.
William Black Memorial United Church can trace its origins to a Methodist prayer group founded in Glen Margaret about 230 years ago. Early settlers discovered the teachings of missionary William Black who travelled throughout Nova Scotia, meeting with and gathering new followers. William Black later became the first ordained Methodist Minister in Canada.
Encouraged to meet and study the bible, these settlers grew in number over several years. In 1821, these Methodists built their first church, a small meeting house known as the Wesleyan-Methodist Church. This is the same building where our congregation meets today.
In 1925, a union of Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches created The United Church of Canada and the congregation determined a name to reflect their past and their new union. We became William Black Memorial United Church in honour of William Black, the man whose teachings first brought our congregation together.
Our church building is a wooden structure dating back to 1821. It is a small, cozy, and historical church, not only because of its size and appearance, but because of the people who worship here - some connections go back generations. Service begins when children pull the bell tower rope and ring the bell.
From William Black Memorial United
William Black Memorial United Church
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The William Black Memorial United Church is located on the St. Margaret's Bay Road between the Head of St. Margaret's Bay and Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. This wooden building, built in 1821, overlooks the bay and is surrounded by an old burial ground. The building, cemetery and property are included in the provincial designation.
HERITAGE VALUE
The William Black Memorial United Church is valued as the oldest surviving, largely unaltered, Methodist Church in Nova Scotia. It is also valued for its association with the history of the Methodist Church, Rev. William Black, and the history of the Glen Margaret area.
Glen Margaret was settled by members of the MacDonald Clan of Lady Margaret, wife of Duke of Cumberland. They were veterans of the American Revolution and were granted lands in Nova Scotia in 1784 and 1785 outside of Halifax. The settlement was known as Lower Ward, as it was considered to be part of the greater village of St. Margaret’s Bay. In 1876 the name of the area was changed to Glen Margaret.
In the 1780s a Methodist prayer group was founded at Glen Margaret, due in large part to the missionary activities of William Black, who began preaching in Nova Scotia in 1781. Black was raised in England and in 1775 he and his family were part of a stream of immigrants leaving Yorkshire and settled in Cumberland County. He was a Methodist and without a minister in the area, settlers had meetings in their homes. During one these meetings, Black experienced a spiritual conversion, leading him to become an evangelical preacher. Much of his early missionary work he did accompanied by New Lights evangelist preacher Henry Alline. Black and Alline split due to differences over organized denominations.
In 1784, practicing Methodists gathered in Baltimore, Maryland. At this time Black was the only preaching Methodist in what is now Canada. He requested that the assembled Methodists send other preachers to Nova Scotia. The conference sent two ordained ministers: Freeborn Garrettson and James Cromwell. Black studied under these two ordained ministers and collectively the three men were responsible for hundreds of conversations in the province before Garrettson and Cromwell returned to the United States. In 1789 Black became the first ordained Methodist minister in Canada.
The Glen Margaret prayer group, encouraged by the work of Black, Garrettson and Cromwell continued to meet. In 1821 they built a meeting house where they gathered regularly for class meetings, prayer and Bible study. The first minister dedicated to serve the congregation was Reverend John Allison who came to the area in 1844 and the church was known as the Wesleyan-Methodist Church. In 1925, with the union of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches, the Glen Margaret church joined the newly created United Church of Canada. In 1939 the congregation decided to rename their church in honour of William Black. It is believed that Black visited the church prior to his death in 1834.
The building is a small, wood-frame structure with a simple gable roof. A small bell tower, which also accommodates an entrance porch, was added in 1953. On the front elevation, and on both side elevations, are the original nine-over-six windows. On the rear elevation is an original nine-over-nine window and a later square window, with stained glass, in the gable peak. The building is clad with wood shingles and has wooden cornerboards.
The William Black Memorial Church is surrounded by a burial ground. Some of the present congregation can trace their descendants from the original members, many of whom are buried here.
The church still holds regular service and the cemetery is still active.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
- wood-frame construction;
- gable roof;
- bell tower, accommodating an entrance porch;
- wooden nine-over-six windows;
- square window with stained glass in the gable peak of the rear elevation;
- wood shingle cladding;
- Neo-classical style cornerboards;
- black painted trim around windows and door;
- wooden front door;
- location overlooking St. Margaret's Bay;
- cemetery surrounding church, including historic grave markers;
- all original and historic interior elements.
From Historic Places Canada