Yarmouth North Baptist Church - Yarmouth, NS - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

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Yarmouth North Baptist Church - Yarmouth, NS

in This Old Church

Posted by:  T0SHEA

19T E 732071 N 4859232

The first church in the Yarmouth vicinity was a Baptist meeting house, built at Cape Forchu in 1784. Daughter churches were established in Tusket (1834), Ohio (1843), Carleton (1843), Chegoggin (1853), Chebogue (1853) and Yarmouth North (1871).

Though organized in 1871, Yarmouth North Baptist, designed by architect James B. Kinney, didn't become a whole and complete church until 1876. This area of north Yarmouth was then known as Milton and the church as Milton Baptist Church. At some point in the intervening years the area and church both became part of north Yarmouth.

Until 1906, this was quite a beautiful church, with a tall spire atop the nicely ornamented tower, with four smaller spires surrounding the central spire. This changed with a single lightning strike. The central spire was gone, but the four smaller spires remained for some years after. The tower originally had rounded pilasters at each corner, with more of the same down each side of the sanctuary. As well, there were once a series of tall, slender spires or finials forming the tops of each of the pilasters on the building. The tower, not including the spire, was once much taller, with Gothic arched vents above and a large rose window over the entrance.

All this is now gone, the tower a completely unadorned square with a low pyramid for a roof. The only noticeable vestiges of ornamentation left on the building today are the hoods over the windows and the closely spaced brackets under the eaves. It's truly a shame what has happened to this and other Baptist churches in the area.

Yarmouth North Baptist remains an active church, holding services twice a week, on Sunday and Wednesday.

Below, the top left photo was taken pre 1906, the bottom left circa 1912.
Both are from Yarmouth History

“In 1906 the congregation [of Milton Baptist Church] was faced with the quandary as to whether or not the Church’s tall spire should go or stay. It was felt by some that the spire may be unsafe and should be removed, while others felt much of the church’s aesthetic appeal would be lost if it were removed. In May of that same year, the steeple was struck by lightning. The congregation felt that this was the Lord’s direction and the large spire [was] stripped off.”

“On May 1, 1906, a small boy was flying his kite in the north end of Yarmouth, then known as Milton, when a bolt of lightning struck the spire of the Baptist Church, damaging it to such an extent, it necessitated the removal of the spire. The street was roped off and the base of the spire was sawn through. A double span of the Town’s horses were hitched to ropes fastened to the steeple. As they surged forward, the spire struck the ground with such force that the steeple became embedded some seven or eight feet in the ground, where it remains to this day. This young lad was none other than Douglas D. Raymond, Sr., on whose property the steeple fell.”
From Yarmouth History