This little corner of Nova Scotia can be a confusing one, as here we have Barrington, Barrington Harbour, Barrington Head, Barrington West and Barrington Passage, each a separate and distinct entity. Some refer to Barrington as Barrington Head, though there appears to be a separate Barrington Head. At one time it seems that pretty much all the Barringtons had Methodist Churches.
A Methodist Church was built in Barrington Passage in 1844, only to be burned in 1855 and rebuilt in 1856. That according to the United Church of Canada website. The present St. James United in Barrington Passage, the largest community of the lot, bears a plaque indicating it to be built in 1866. We have a discrepancy here. Given that the plaque was most likely erected by the church itself, we'll accept their version of the church's age.
In 1925, with
Church Union in Canada, all Methodist and Congregational and most Presbyterian churches in Canada became units of the United Church of Canada. The Methodist church in Barrington Passage became St. James United Church at that time and St. James Wesley United Church on January 1, 2012.
Built much as a meeting house style church, but with a steeple, St. James is a fairly plain looking building save for a few extra touches. Though there are no windows on the front of the building, save for one in the tower, the side windows have Gothic arched tops, the transoms being filled instead of glassed. The main entrance, with double doors, is the same, with a filled arched transom. We notice that there are no vents in the tower, hence, likely no bells in the tower, either. Atop the square tower, though, is a fenced "Widow's Walk", a common sight in seaside towns, and a tall octagonal spire.
Methodism in the Barrington area has its roots in Freeborn Garrettson, a former slave owner in Maryland who converted to Methodism and came to the Maritimes as a preacher. He came to Sheburne and Barrington in 1786 and formed the first Methodist class in the area. Garrettson returned to the United States in 1787 and his work was continued by James Mann and Rev. James Oliver Cromwell. A Methodist chapel was constructed in Barrington in 1816. The Methodist Sunday School began around 1827.
Shelburne and Barrington were linked together until 1833 when Barrington was made a separate circuit with Cape Negro and Port LaTour. Port LaTour became a separate circuit in 1870 and soon expanded to include Baccaro, Upper Port LaTour, Cape Negro, Port Clyde, and Blanche. A Methodist chapel was built at Lower Port LaTour in 1850. It is unknown when the first Methodist church was built in Upper Port LaTour.
As the membership of the Barrington Methodist Circuit began to increase in the 1850s, plans were made to construct a larger church building. A new building was constructed in 1866.
A Methodist church was built in Barrington Passage in 1844 but was destroyed by fire in 1855. It was rebuilt in 1856.
From the United Church of Canada