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 St. James United Church - 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, outside St. James shares many characteristics with its contemporaries while, inside, it takes on the appearance of an even older meeting house style church.
Waymark Code: WMTWW2
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Date Posted: 01/15/2017
Views: 1
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.
For a building designed by an informally trained architect, St. James is quite a beautiful and impressive structure. The front is graced with a shallow two story portico, within which is a wide, Gothic arched entrance, recessed well into the portico. The entrance holds four wooden doors, each with four Gothic arched panels. Over the doors, the arched transom holds a large lanceted window flanked by smaller Gothic arched windows, all three filled with stained glass. The frame for the entrance consists of heavy wooden quoins and a wooden keystone. Frame and transom stand on carved wooden columns and pilasters.
Above is a massive, square bell tower ending in a flat platform for the octagonal belfry and steeple. An uncommon touch on this bell tower is the inclusion of clocks on each face, making this also a clock tower. Dentils decorate every eave on the building, including those on both the tower and belfry, while the belfry platform holds four ornate finials, one at each corner. The interior of the building is relatively plain, consisting essentially of a large rectangle. Murals line the rear wall, stained glass the sides, and a low pulpit the front.
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 burial ground. 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
The elm tree in front of St. James church has been a fixture on Main Street, virtually since the laying out of the town of Antigonish. For the majestic spread of its branches, it acted as the focal point for all vistas on Main St.. Unfortunately it succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease and became a hazard to passersby. Therefore it was taken down and the magnificent stump was carved into the old Lion and the Lamb. Thus even in death, the tree still functioned in the public space. As it was the stump, the roots continued to absorb water, and eventually the statue rotted.
Several members of the congregation regretted the necessity of removing the old statue and took steps to see what could be done to restore it or reproduce it. The new Lion and the Lamb is once again made of elm wood this time from Pictou County. The wood has been treated with a preservative, and instead of the grain being vertical and opened to the elements, it is horizontal and should shed water better. As well the statue has been elevated on a concrete plinth and should therefore remain relatively dry. This should enable it to withstand the elements for a greater length of time than the old one did, but not nearly the length of time of the old tree, which was almost 200 years old when it was taken down.
From St. James United
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 Visit Instructions:
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