Description of Historic Place

The Trinity Anglican Church is located on the corner of Orser and High streets at a four corner crossroad with Hillcrest Avenue. The presence of this Gothic Revival structure is marked in the community by its projecting tower and belfry.

Heritage Value

The Holy Trinity Anglican Church is designated a Local Historic Place for its architectural qualities as well as for its religious and cultural influences.

The Holy Trinity Anglican Church is recognized for its association with spiritual worship in the area and for being home to a developing congregation which had previously moved from one community hall to another. The land was purchased in 1917 and the Hartland Cement Company, a local business, provided the concrete blocks for the structure. Volunteers provided the labour to stain and install the pews. Archdeacon Neales of the Parish of Woodstock supported Rev. N. Franchetti, the man who was instrumental in making the church a reality, and who was its chief designer. The church was dedicated in 1925 and became the symbol of Anglican faith in the community.

The Holy Trinity Anglican Church is a beautiful building that stands alone. Concrete blocks reach to the steeply-pitched steel gable roof. Large Gothic arch wooden casement windows with stained glass are recessed in both gable ends on the east and west walls. Both windows were donated in memory of lost loved ones by congregational relatives. Several smaller Gothic arch stain glass windows are recessed in the concrete block walls and are placed uniformly on the same level. The concrete block tower stands three storeys with uniform arched windows recessed in the walls at each storey and houses the narthex on the ground level. The tower is topped by a pyramidal roof protected by asphalt shingles. This Gothic Revival style church conveys a presence of solidarity and strength, and its concrete block construction adds to its architectural strength and value.

The interior of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church is frame-paneled from the wainscotting to the roof with rich oak mouldings. The centre aisle of the open nave is lined with stained butternut wood pews facing the oak altar and the oak hymnal board rests to the side. The chancel is located three steps up from the nave with the choir and altar. Several elements of the interior were donated in memory by its congregational members.

Source: Hartland Town Hall archives, "Holy Trinity Anglican Church" file

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church include:
- traditional Gothic Revival style form and massing;
- steeply-pitched gable roof;
- concrete block construction, rare in church architecture;
- date stone above church entrance in Roman numerals, MCMXVII (1917);
- concrete block three-storey tower topped with a pyramidal roof and enclosing the belfry with uniform pointed arch windows at each storey on all four sides;
- pointed arch stain glass windows recessed in the concrete blocks placed uniformly on the north and south walls;
- wooden double arched doors opening to wood paneled narthex in base of tower.

The character-defining elements that describe the interior of the church include:
- narthex located at bottom of tower and belfry;
- open nave;
- wainscoting throughout and decorative panel-framing from wainscoting to roof with rich oak mouldings;
- central aisle facing the east wall with butternut pews lining each side of the aisle;
- chancel with choir and altar located three steps up from nave;
- large stained glass pointed arch windows on the east and west walls.