Description of Historic Place

St. Matthew’s Presbyterian Church is a one storey, wooden building with a steeply pitched gable roof. Constructed in 1910, it is the last remaining original church structure in Grand Falls. Located at 015 Church Road in the town of Grand Falls-Windsor, NL, the designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

St. Matthew’s Presbyterian Church has been designated a municipal heritage building by the Town of Grand Falls-Windsor because of its historical, cultural and aesthetic values.

St. Matthew’s Presbyterian Church has historic value due to its connection to the establishment of Grand Falls and because it is the oldest original church in the town. Settlement in Grand Falls began with the incorporation of the Anglo-Newfoundland Development Company in 1905. With the threat of war in Europe, the Harmsworths, a British family who ran a newspaper empire, began the search for additional sources of newsprint. Their mill at Grand Falls officially opened on October 9, 1909 and the company town quickly expanded. St. Matthew’s Presbyterian Church was constructed the following year, mainly to meet the spiritual needs of the newly arrived British elite. St. Matthew’s congregation included mill managers and other influential members of the company town, such as store managers and bank managers. St. Matthew’s was the first church built in Grand Falls and is located on one of the first roads constructed through the town, the layout of which was influenced by the Garden City movement.

St. Matthew’s Presbyterian Church has cultural value due to its continued importance to the Presbyterian congregation in Grand Falls. Even though it has a relatively small membership, the congregation remains active, supporting the church and valuing its place both in the town of Grand Falls-Windsor and the wider faith community of Presbyterians in the province and throughout Canada.

St. Matthew’s Presbyterian Church has aesthetic value as a fine example of a small, country-style church in an urban setting. It has some Gothic Revival style elements, such as multi-paned, Gothic arched windows, as used in similar small churches in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is free of ornamentation and offers a humble yet dignified facade, in keeping with Presbyterian values. St. Matthew’s Presbyterian Church has further aesthetic value because of its environmental setting. Located on one of the main streets in the town along with churches of other denominations, it is nestled atop a raised, landscaped lot.

Source: Designated by a motion of council of the Town of Grand Falls-Windsor during a Regular Council Meeting October 11, 2005.

Character-Defining Elements

All exterior features that add to its aesthetic value, including:
-number of storeys;
-steep pitched gable roof;
-hexagonal roof of bell tower;
-narrow wooden clapboard;
-wooden, single hung, multi-paned, Gothic arched windows;
-use of ripple glass and stained glass;
-window number, size, style, trim and placement;
-arched, wood panel door;
-number, size, style, trim and placement of exterior doors;
-location of porch on front facade;
-building height, massing and dimensions;
-location, orientation and visibility on Church Road.