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 St. James United Church Cemetery - Antigonish, NS Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 45° 37.357 W 061° 59.337
20T E 578818 N 5052616
A beautiful old wood framed church from 1861, St. James stands on ground donated for use as a burial ground, church and school in 1805.
Waymark Code: WMQWHM
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Date Posted: 04/06/2016
Views: 2
St. James United, at that time St. James Presbyterian, was designed by Alexander McDonald, known locally as "Sandy the Carpenter. Responsible for the design of several notable buildings in eastern Nova Scotia, including courthouses in Sherbrooke, Arichat and Antigonish, McDonald, unfortunately, died before the church was completed. He was a self taught architect and builder and the church was completed by another self taught builder, Alexander Munroe of Merigomish, Nova Scotia. According to the original date plaque still inside the church, construction on the building began in 1861, with completion coming about the next year. The building remained a Presbyterian Church until 1925, when, with Church Union in Canada, the congregation voted to join the United Church of Canada.
To the rear of the building is St. James Presbyterian Cemetery, an acre of land deeded to the congregation by the first minister, the Reverend James Munro, in 1805, to be used for a church, a school, and a burialground. This old cemetery was used until approximately 1870, when a new location was acquired. Of the 182 known burials, only fourteen stones remain.
The oldest extant headstone is that of Elizabeth Symonds. On the back of her stone is the inscription for her husband, Nathaniel Symonds, who died July 15, 1822, and his second wife, Mary Irish, who died December 15, 1867.
Nathaniel Symonds was born October 12, 1763 in Middleton, MA to Deacon Joseph, himself the son of a deacon, and Lucy (Kimball) Symonds. Nathaniel married for the first time on December 29, 1791 to Elizabeth Blanchard in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. Elizabeth was born in 1770 to Col. Jotham and Elizabeth (Treadwell Blanchard). Elizabeth died at an early age of 38 years on September 25, 1808, as specified on the headstone. This makes hers the earliest burial in the Presbyterian cemetery in Antigonish.
From St. Francis Xavier, Stone #7
The inscription on her headstone follows:
Memento [Glory?]
In memory of M. Elizabeth
Symonds wife of Nathaniel
Symonds Esqr who departed
This life Septr 25th, 1808, in the
38th year of her age
Behold and see as you pass by
As you are now so once was I
As I am now so must you be
Prepare for death and follow me
St. James United Church
"I have no hesitation in saying that for elegance, chasteness of design, massiveness of outline, and harmony of details--both externally and internally--it is not surpassed by any church of the same description in the three provinces. It is an ornament to the beautiful town of Antigonish and reflects great credit on the skill, good taste and fidelity of Mr. Munro, the builder, as well as the christian liberality of the congregation." Such were the fulsome words of a visitor to the recently opened and dedicated St. James in 1864. Four years earlier, the congregation had decided to proceed with the construction of a new Presbyterian Church. The trustees stipulated certain stylistic preferences; they wanted a spire, not a dome, as well as a tower projecting 3 feet from the building. This new structure would replace their plain place of worship, 36' x 54', situated nearby. Construction began in 1862 under the supervision of Alexander MacDonald "Sandy the Carpenter". With his premature death, the responsibility for its completion fell to Alexander Munroe.
St. James represents an interesting fusion of classical and gothic detailing. The front gable end, as well as the porch, are pedimented in the classical mode; the corner pilasters, return eaves, prominent mouldings and dentil trim (square, tooth-like decoration) are also classical in inspiration. Gothic influences, however, are evident. The peaked Gothic windows and louvred openings in the belfry, the multiple-arched gothic window tracery, the arched recessed doorway and the finials which accent the four corners of the platform supporting the belfry as well as the pointed roof-spire were all conventional Gothic elements. The pointed arch, in particular, was the most salient feature of Gothic revival. The "heaven-pointing spire" and the "pointed arch" allowed Gothic architecture to express the human need to establish a relationship between heaven and earth. The blending of architectural styles was a widespread phenomenon in rural Maritime Canada, especially among Presbyterians, who responding to the dictates of tradition and progress, retained a decided preference for the plain meeting house and traditional, classical styles, but embraced the more fashionable Gothic revival styles of the mid-19th century.
From St. Francis Xavier
Name of church or churchyard: St. James United Church
Approximate Size: Large (100+)
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