Description of Historic Place

Christ Church is a large wood frame Georgian style building surrounded by trees on Wentworth Street in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The building has retained its original atmosphere due to the landscaping and complementary additions. The heritage designation applies to the church building only and the land it occupies.

Heritage Value

Christ Church is valued as the first Anglican Church in Dartmouth with significant ties to the history of the community and Nova Scotia. The Dartmouth Anglican congregation was formed decades before the building was constructed. Open air services were held for residents of the small settlement as early as 1750. The cornerstone of Christ Church was laid by the Sir John Sherbrooke, Earl of Dalhousie and Governor of Nova Scotia in 1817. Reverend Charles Inglis, later Bishop Inglis, was appointed Christ Church's first rector and he held the first service in the newly-erected church in May 1818. By 1933, Christ Church had the largest Sunday School attendance in the Maritimes with a record breaking six hundred students.

Christ Church is also valued for its architects and the numerous changes the building has undergone. These include the original architect W. M. Blaiklock who designed the original body of the church in 1817. The church bell was presented to the congregation by the Honourable Michael Wallace in 1826. In 1865 the church was lengthened by twenty feet with architect Henry Elliot in charge of the project. The addition respected the Church’s original Georgian style. As a result of the 1917 Halifax Explosion many of the original stained glass windows were lost. In 1927 Sydney Perry Dumaresq, son of the famed James Charles Dumaresq, was involved in further design work on the church. The original church hall was moved from the property in 1853 and is now known as the Victoria Road Baptist Church.

Christ Church is also valued as a good example of the Georgian style in Dartmouth. This large wood framed and shingled structure exemplifies to a large degree the Georgian style. This style is seen in the features such as the round headed windows and the steeple design. Other significant architectural elements include the heavy dentils and corner pilasters. Christ Church is well-known for its beautiful and elaborate stained glass windows.

Source: Heritage Property File: 50 Wentworth Street, Christ Church, found at HRM Planning and Development Services, Heritage Property Program, 6960 Mumford Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Christ Church related to its Georgian style and include:

- round headed windows;
- round windows;
- round, slim steeple;
- heavy dentils;
- belfry with classical pediments and round-headed arches;
- brass weathervane;
- corner pilasters;
- elaborate stained glass windows;
- wood frame construction;
- wood shingle siding.