Built in 1888 on land conveyed to the church in 1885, St. Andrew's opened for services on January 10, 1889. Built at a cost of $3,700, the design was the work of Summerside architect, George Baker. It continues to host services today, 126 years later.
Sometime in the 1940s the church lost its handsome 75 foot tall spire as the result of deterioration and lack of maintenance. This is really a shame, as the church seems only a faint shadow of its former self without it. Only the lower part of the tower, from just above the eaves, remains. It continues to be the main entrance, as it had been when built. In latter years the church has been well maintained and appears to be in quite good condition as yet.
The church acquired more land in 1902, the purpose, presumably, was to either create or enlarge the adjacent cemetery. Today the cemetery holds, according to
Billion Graves, something over 360 interments.
One of the photos below, from, we assume, the Provincial Archives, shows the church still sporting its tower and spire.
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
This well preserved Gothic Revival church is located near its cemetery on a hill near the Cardigan River. It features a main sanctuary with an ell shaped addition on the south side. Both have gable roofs. An entrance tower on the east side was once part of the original design, but has been removed. Several pointed arch Gothic windows with tracery accent the design of the building.
HERITAGE VALUE
The church is valued for its Gothic Revival architectural style and for its association with the history of the Presbyterian faith in the area.
The Presbyterians of Cardigan originally shared a minister with those in nearby Georgetown. In 1882, a reorganization led to their sharing a minister with Dundas. He was the Rev. Ewen Gillis of Earltown, Nova Scotia. He was inducted to serve the two communities on November 25, 1884. He remained there until November of 1888. He lived in a manse in Cardigan and during his time, the congregation flourished. It was determined that a new church building was needed for Cardigan.
In September 1885, the land for the new church was conveyed from Donald Stewart. The Summerside architect, George Baker (1844-1928) designed the new structure and it was constructed by Schurman's for the cost of $3700. It opened for worship services on January 10, 1889 and was immediately celebrated by the Daily Examiner newspaper as "one of the finest country churches in the province." In 1888, the Cardigan congregation was further reorganized as a separate charge with its own resident minister. After Rev. Gillis, this was Rev. Adam Gunn, who was inducted in July 1891.
Additional land for the church was acquired in 1902 from Neil Nicholson. The building remains a well preserved Gothic Revival church despite some renovations over the years. These include the removal of the octagonal spire in the the 1940s after it had become deteriorated. In recent decades, a new concrete basement was added to accommodate suppers and community events.
Today, St. Andrew's shares a minister with St. Andrew's in Montague and has an active youth group and choirs.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
- the wood frame construction and wooden clapboard siding
- the gable roofline
- the brick chimney
- the variety and sizes of pointed arch windows with tracery
- the rectangular main sanctuary with wing addition on the south side
- the truncated entrance tower which once had a spire rising to 75 feet
From Historic Places Canada