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.
At the front of the church has been mounted a nice marker which imparts a bit of the history of the church and even of the crest of the United Church, created in part of symbols adapted from the original denominations which comprise the present United Church:
Congregational, Presbyterian and Methodist.
St. James United Church
The congregation of St. James was founded in 1804. The present day church was built in 1862. Our ten original memorial windows were installed and dedicated in 1911. They use Christian symbolism to uplift the spirit.
St. James has had three church buildings on this very site. The first was a log chuch built in 1805, the second a larger frame church in 1828, and the third being the present building. To accommodate a growing congregation, in 1886 the church sanctuary was split and extended 12 feet and the upper hall was added. In 1953 the gymnasium was built and in 1974 the parlour, offices and Sunday School rooms were added. Our first two ministers, Rev. James Munro and Rev. Thomas Trotter, are buried in the pioneer cemetery behind the church.
Originally a Presbyterian congregation, the members of St. James voted in 1925 to join the newly formed United Church of Canada.
The United Church crest:
• The "X" is a traditional symbol for Christ.
• "Ut omnes unum sint" means "That all may be one."
• The dove, the transforming power of the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:10), is a symbol of Methodism.
• The open Bible is from the Congregational Churches with their emphasis on God's truth.
• The burning bush (Exodus 3:2) symbolizes indestructibility, a mark of Presbyterianism.
• Alpha and Omega represent the eternal living God (Revelation 1:8).
For about 200 years a beautiful elm tree graced the church.
A lion and a lamb were carved out of its huge stump in the year 2000.
From the Sign at the Church
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