Description of Historic Place

Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Alma is a well preserved wood framed and wood shingled structure built by some of the first settlers to the area from 1888-1890. It features a side entrance tower with a spire topped by a Chi Rho symbol. The body of the church has a gable roof and four pointed arch Gothic windows on each of its sides. The back of the building features a chancel with a gable roof.

Heritage Value

The church is valued for its well preserved carpenter Gothic architecture; for its association with the history of the Anglican church in western PEI; and for its contribution to the community of Alma.

The community of Alma is located four miles northwest of the Town of Alberton in Prince County, PEI. It likely received its name from the September 20, 1854 battle in the Crimean War. Alma was also the name of a ship built in 1854 for James Yeo of Port Hill.

The building was constructed from 1888-1890 as a mission church for the Parish of Alberton. It was consecrated in 1890. The adjacent cemetery was established in 1887. A pioneer Anglican missionary in the area was the Rev. Robert William Dyer (1808-1887). Dyer served for twenty six years as rector of St. Peter's Anglican Church in nearby Alberton. He had left his native England in 1839 for Greenspond, Newfoundland, to work as a teacher and lay reader on behalf of the Colonial and Continental Church Society. He was ordained in 1849 and moved to the Alberton area of PEI in 1859. His extensive diaries are considered a valuable resource for the history of the area. He records that he spent years travelling along the western road, holding services in many of the pioneer households. Although finished after his death, the completion of the Holy Trinity Church was a testament to Dyer's perseverance and success.

The church is also valued for its association with the Jeffery family. The first recorded burial in the adjacent cemetery was that of Elizabeth Jane Jeffery, an infant, on June 9, 1887. Two brothers, George Abel Jeffery (1860-1955) and Stephen Jeffery (1877-1958) would be influenced by Rev. Dyer and called to serve in Christian ministry. Rev. George served in the US states of Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri; while Rev. Stephen would serve in Nova Scotia, the longest term being as rector of Lockeport.

The architectural style of the church has many carpenter Gothic elements. These include its wood frame and wood shingle cladding; the single sash pointed arch Gothic windows; the gable roof; the chancel at the back; and the entrance tower topped by a wood shingled spire. An interesting detail of the spire is the Chi Rho symbol at the apex. This ancient Christian symbol is the first two letters of the word "Christ" in the Greek alphabet.

In recent years, the church has been lovingly restored and remains a landmark in the community of Alma.

Source: Culture and Heritage Division, PEI Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8
File #: 4310-20/H5

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements illustrate the carpenter Gothic style of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Alma:

- The rectangular configuration of the nave with gable roof
- The chancel with gable roof
- The brick chimney
- The wood frame and wood shingle cladding
- The single sash pointed arch Gothic windows
- The entrance tower with pointed arch louvres
- The tapered spire with distinct shingle patterns and topped by a Chi Rho symbol
- The location of the church in the community of Alma near the highway and its adjacent cemetery