Description of Historic Place

The Church of Ascension is a small wooden Gothic Revival from the late 19th century. It is located on one of the highest points in North Head and overlooks the North Head Harbour and fishing village. It is on the northern side of Route 776 about 0.8km from the ferry terminal.

Heritage Value

The Church of Ascension is designated a Local Historic Place for being the second church established on Grand Manan Island. Built in 1881, the church belongs to the Anglican Church Parish of the island. The two Anglican churches are served by one rector. It represents the long-standing presence of the Anglican Church in Grand Manan.

The Church of Ascension is also recognized for its architecture. It is a good example of a small rural Gothic Revival church from the late 19th century in New Brunswick. It is made of wood and has original stained glass windows. Because of its height and its location on the hilltop, it can be seen from miles out to sea and a long distance on land down the island. The Covert Hall was added in 1904 and has the matching design unique to the church with the high pitched roof and interior wood decor. The pitch of the church roof is such that during a recent re-shingling, people would stop along the road and pray for those working on it.

Source: Grand Manan Archives – Local Historic Places files

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe the Church of Ascension include:
- second church and only structure of its kind on Grand Manan;
- prominent hilltop location;
- steeply-pitched gable roof;
- corner tower with belfry;
- large Gothic stained glass windows;
- 1904 hall addition that conforms to the original design of the church.

The character-defining elements relating to the interior include:
- beautiful large Gothic stained glass windows that catch the light at all times of day;
- wood panelling;
- wainscoting of tongue-and-groove timber.