Other Name(s)
n/a
Links and documents
n/a
Construction Date(s)
1874/01/01 to 1876/01/01
Listed on the Canadian Register:
2008/01/31
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
Trinity Anglican Church is a two-and-a-half storey Gothic Revival style church with a large square bell tower located at the corner of Main Street and Fowler Avenue. The designation is confined to the church building.
Heritage Value
Trinity Anglican Church is designated a Local Historic Place for its historic architecture, as well as for its religious significance in the community.
Trinity Anglican Church is recognized for its architecture. The church is a good example of late 19th-century Gothic Revival religious architecture in the Sussex area. Designed by Saint John architects John T. C. McKean and G. Earnest Fairweather, it was built between 1874-1876 under the supervision of then rector, the Rev. Canon Charles Medley, son of Bishop John Medley, the first Anglican bishop of Fredericton and driving force behind Anglican religious architecture in New Brunswick at the time. The church is also recognized for its interior fittings, including a rood screen, board and batten paneling, the pulpit which was a gift from Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton, in 1913 having been used in the Cathedral for 60 years, and a walnut and ash altar which was the gift of Michael Howley, Catholic Bishop of Newfoundland. The windows of the church include a series of stained-glass windows depicting all twelve of the apostles. The locations of the pulpit on the right and the lectern on the left as you face the altar are opposite from the usual locations in most churches, due the location of the original entrance which would be obstructed if the pulpit were to be located on the left.
Trinity Anglican Church is also recognized for its association with the long-standing Anglican congregation in Sussex. The original Trinity Anglican Church was built in 1804 in Sussex Vale (now Sussex Corner). In 1873 it was decided that the church at that location was not able to accommodate the congregation and the decision was taken to build a new church where Trinity Anglican Church now stands. Trinity Anglican Church, the oldest church in Sussex, has been the place of worship by the local congregation continuously since 1876.
Source: Town of Sussex - Historic Places file #1
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements relating to the architecture of Trinity Anglican Church include:
- asymmetrical two-and-a-half storey massing;
- decorative features painted in a darker colour for emphasis;
- 4.9m by 4.9m tower that rises to 30.5m in height containing the entry, a second floor vestry, a belfry and a spire;
- Gothic arch and lancet windows with hood moulding;
- two long windows and a carved triangular window in the gable projected from the building and supported by a corbel table on the western end;
- three-light windows projecting from the building and supported by a corbel table, capped with a triangular pediment head with carved finial and stops on the eastern end.
The character-defining elements relating to the interior include:
- arched nave with side aisles;
- stained-glass windows depicting the crucifixion, prophets and twelve apostles;
- rood screen;
- pulpit and its location with respect to the lectern;
- altar;
- board and batten panelling.
Recognition
Jurisdiction
New Brunswick
Recognition Authority
Local Governments (NB)
Recognition Statute
Local Historic Places Program
Recognition Type
Municipal Register of Local Historic Places
Recognition Date
2007/11/26
Historical Information
Significant Date(s)
n/a
Theme - Category and Type
- Building Social and Community Life
- Religious Institutions
- Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
- Philosophy and Spirituality
- Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
- Architecture and Design
Function - Category and Type
Current
- Religion, Ritual and Funeral
- Religious Facility or Place of Worship
Historic
Architect / Designer
John T. C. McKean
Builder
n/a
Additional Information
Location of Supporting Documentation
Town of Sussex – Historic Places File # 1
Cross-Reference to Collection
Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier
1466
Status
Published
Related Places
n/a