Description of Historic Place

Built in 1866, Christ Church Anglican Church of Canada is located in Maitland, NS. It is a modest building situated on top of a high knoll on the Northfield Road. Its large, ornately designed Gothic Revival steeple makes it prominent against the skyline from its elevated position. The Municipal Heritage Designation applies to the building and building footprint.

Heritage Value

Christ Church Anglican Church of Canada is valued for its age, method of construction, Gothic Revival design and Greek Revival ornamentation.

The church was completed in the fall of 1866, making it one of the oldest churches in the Maitland area. Building of the post and beam structure was a community effort; many members of the congregation donated labour and materials in lieu of a monetary donation.

The board and batten exterior is somewhat unique in Lunenburg County. The majority of historic churches in the area have clapboard or wooden shingle exteriors. The board and batten cladding, combined with the Gothic Revival design, featuring an asymmetrical façade and ornate steeple, has made the church a local landmark. The building is also complimented by the addition of several Greek Revival features, such as return eaves and corner boards designed as simplified Greek Revival pilasters.

Source: Municipality of the District of Lunenburg Book 2 Site 6.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements of Christ Church Anglican Church of Canada relate to its Gothic Revival architecture and include:

- board and batten cladding;
- wooden rake board and rake moulding with scribe strips;
- asymmetrical floor plan;
- cross-gabled roof;
- lancet arch windows on faces with board and batten construction;
- tower with wooden shingle construction;
- steeple with wooden shingle construction with a band of ornamented shingles half way up the spire;
- steeple with octagonal construction with four small gabled roofs in opposing pairs where steeple meets the tower and four small hip roofs in opposing pairs where steeple meets the tower;
- post and beam construction;
- finial Gothic across at peak of steeple.

Character-defining elements of Christ Church Anglican Church of Canada relate to its Greek Revival architecture and include:

- return eaves;
- columns supporting a projecting cross-gabled entrance;
- cornerboards designed as simple Greek Revival pilasters.