Description of Historic Place

St. Paul’s Anglican Church is a stone Gothic Revival structure located on Cochrane Street in the centre of Harbour Grace’s Registered Heritage District. The designation includes the building as well as its adjacent graveyard and stone retaining wall.

Heritage Value

St. Paul’s Anglican Church has been designated as a registered heritage structure because of its architectural, cultural and environmental values.

St. Paul’s Church is an excellent example of both stone construction and the introduction of the Gothic Revival style of architecture in Newfoundland. It was constructed in two stages; the nave and tower being built first followed by the transept and apse thirty years later, typical of the early Gothic Revival construction. The addition of the transept and apse was influenced by the Cambridge Camden Society which encouraged the return to the medieval Catholic Church lay-out. The exterior of St. Paul’s has simple Gothic Revival decoration including pointed arched windows, a pointed arched door, and Gothic stained glass. The lay-out of the church is of the Latin-cross plan, a lay-out which can also be seen in other churches across Newfoundland. Due to the loss of two previous Anglican churches occupying this site to fire, the congregation decided that they would construct a new church using locally quarried stone. The stone used is still largely intact, as are the original windows and doors. The interior of the building continues to reflect the Gothic Revival style through its decoration and woodworking.


Within the community of Harbour Grace, this church is quite significant because it has been a place of worship for both the Church of England and the Anglican Church since 1835. Centrally located in the heritage district of Harbour Grace, the townspeople feel that St. Paul’s church is possibly the most important structure in the district because of its age, history and religious affiliations.

St. Paul’s is environmentally valuable because of it's stone retaining wall and graveyard. The stone wall, which outlines the property, is typical of many 19th century Newfoundland churches, and is common in the town of Harbour Grace. The graveyard is also located on the property, adjacent to the church. It was a common practice in Newfoundland for churches to have their graveyard located directly next to the building. These features, along with the sheer size and location of the building, make it a visible landmark in the town.

Source: Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, Harbour Grace - St. Paul's Anglican Church

Character-Defining Elements

All original features which relate to the age, construction and Gothic Revival style of the property including:
- All interior and exterior features (stained glass windows, archways etc.) that are reflective of the Gothic revival style
- Latin-cross lay-out of church;
- Exposed beams on interior;
- Original stone work on exterior;
- Original slate roof;
- Stone crenellated tower;
- Original windows and doors; and
- Building height, massing, and dimensions

All those features relating to its enviromental value including;
- Location in community;
- Stone retaining wall; and
- Graveyard.