Description of Historic Place
St. Paul's Anglican Church is a rectangular wooden church with a central square tower on the front façade, located midway between the former towns of Chatham and Newcastle on the south side of the Miramichi River. It is the oldest church in existence on the Miramichi, predating the Great Miramichi Fire of 1825. The designation includes the adjoining cemetery.
Heritage Value
St Paul’s Anglican Church is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture, for its association with the Great Miramichi Fire of 1825 and for its association with the religious history of Miramichi.
St Paul’s Anglican Church has architectural value in having been constructed by local master builder William Murray. It bears his trademark style with Neo-Classical traditions. The gable roof, rectangular massing and central tower on the front façade reflect this style. Construction began in 1822 and the first service was held on Christmas Day in 1823. Local businessmen, some of whom were of different denominations, subscribed a great amount of the white pine timber for construction. Changes occurred to the church in later years such as the bell tower was lowered 8 feet circa 1920 as a result of wet rot. In 1926 a vestry and new baptistery was accommodated at the west end, narrowing the width of the stairwell as a result. Stained glass windows by Robert McCormack of Toronto were installed in these areas in the same year. In 1938, three stained glass windows were placed in memory of Ven. Archdeacon David Forsyth in the east wall behind the altar. The church has served the parishioners for more than 180 years.
The heritage character value is also associated with the church's religious importance in the community. John Jackson, the church's first sexton, was instrumental, along with other parishioners in saving the church from the flames of the Great Miramichi Fire by keeping the structure soaked in wet blankets. His wife and six children perished at their home while he fought the flames that threatened the church. His portrait hangs in the building and his family is buried in the adjoining cemetery. Three generations of Jackson’s served as the first three sextons of St. Paul's Anglican Church from 1825-1934. From 1821 to 1930 only three rectors served this parish, and two of them, Rev. Samuel Bacon and Ven. Archdeacon Forsyth, represent 105 of those years combined.
The adjoining cemetery is also significant to the religious history of the area. Many notable people from the community are interred here, including the family of John Jackson, Hon. John M. Johnstone, Father of Confederation and Dr. John Vondy who died of malignant fever while attending to passengers of the Irish famine relief ship Looshtauk, which was quarantined at nearby Middle Island.
Source: City of Miramichi, Heritage Office Site File #05-23.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements relating to the exterior of St. Paul’s Anglican Church include:
- rectangular single storey massing;
- gable roof;
- white pine construction and clad in wooden shingles;
- eight lancet windows located in nave containing 24 pane in body with paned tracery in arch;
- bell tower constructed of four upright single stemmed peeled white pine timbers and clad in wooden shingles with flat roof, cornice, brackets and four pinnacles atop.
The character-defining elements relating to the interior of St. Paul’s Anglican Church include:
- memorial stained glass window grouping at east end, behind the altar;
- memorial to Dr. Vondy;
- vestry and baptistery broken from nave with tracery containing trefoil pattern throughout;
- flat ceiling and trim molding with decorative corner shells and sloped to meet walls with heavy molding;
- removable starburst in central ceiling area conceals the multiple woodstove ductwork connector once fed through to flue;
- impressive acoustics due to interior design, giving an audibility of richness in tone.
The character-defining elements relating to the grounds surrounding St. Paul’s Anglican Church include:
- modest cemetery.
