Description of Historic Place

The St. John the Evangelist Church is a wooden, Gothic Revival vernacular church on a quiet road in Topsail, Conception Bay South. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The St. John the Evangelist Church was designated a registered heritage structure because it has aesthetic, historic and environmental values.

St. John the Evangelist Church has aesthetic value because it is a vernacular interpretation of a nineteenth century Gothic Revival church. The wooden construction is typical of Anglican churches built in outport Newfoundland during the nineteenth century. However, the interior is distinctive because neither the walls, ceilings, floors nor pews were ever stained or painted. The pristine state of the structure provides valuable insight into the materials and techniques used in constructing the church.

The exterior of the church gives the impression of a cozy, community-oriented building. Built with narrow wooden clapboard, this church has a bell tower with a spire and Celtic cross finial. The steeply pitched gable roof is in keeping with Gothic style, and the trefoil appliqués on the windows add to this. A large, stained glass, peaked window graces the eastern wall, where the altar is located. Entrance to the church is gained through the bell tower through wooden plank doors. There are eaves brackets on the tower and other than the trefoil appliqués they are the only decoration on the church.

St. John the Evangelist Church has historical value for several reasons. The church was constructed in 1860-61, making it one of the oldest buildings in Topsail. It was used for over 100 years by the Anglican community in Topsail and has changed very little in that time. Though the building stopped regular ecumenical services in 1974, the church is open to the public regularly, and can still be used for private services such as wedding and flower services. The church was also a setting for an episode of the CBC television program Pigeon Inlet.

The church is also historically valuable because it is associated with several prominent Newfoundlanders, including influential public figures James Bancroft, founder of the Newfoundland Teacher’s Association, and Sir Edgar R. Bowring, politician.

The St. John the Evangelist Church has environmental value because it is located within the cemetery on a quiet road, Spruce Hill Road. This is the same road on which the provincially registered structure, the Hermitage, is located.
source: Heritage Foundation of NL, unnumbered files St. John the Evangelist Church, Topsail

Character-Defining Elements

All those elements that are reflective of the Gothic Revival style of architecture including:
- bell tower;
- narrow wooden clapboard;
- trefoil Gothic appliqué;
- Steeply pitched gable roof;
- Celtic cross finial.

All those original features, including:
-wooden plank door;
-all original interior details in unstained/unpainted condition.

All those exterior physical details such as:
- orientation;
- dimensions;
- location within the cemetery;
- general massing;
- window and door openings.