Description du lieu patrimonial

St. Andrew’s Anglican Church is a Gothic revival church located in Brooklyn, Bonavista Bay.

Valeur patrimoniale

St. Andrew’s Anglican Church was designated a Registered Historic Structure because it has aesthetic, spiritual, cultural and environmental values.

St. Andrew’s Anglican Church is aesthetically valuable because it is an excellent example of a wooden church in the Gothic revival style. This picturesque church is entirely handcrafted and great care was given each decorative detail. The pristine exterior is set off by the Gothic windows and the bell tower with its soaring spire. Other Gothic features can be found in the elaborate interior details, particularly in the Queen Anne arches. Most notable is the fact that this building was constructed entirely of locally made products by local craftsmen. It was built entirely of timber harvested from the surrounding forest and engineered with a pit saw and is a testament to the importance the community placed on its construction.

The St. Andrew’s Anglican Church has spiritual value because it represents life stages and the enrichment that worshippers gain by the presence of the church. St. Andrew’s was the mother church in the area, serving the surrounding communities. When a visiting clergyman arrived for a service local people raised the Union Jack on Goose Head to notify the neighbouring communities. Parishioners would flock to the service on foot over the ice floes in winter and by boat in summer. Today it remains a centre of Anglican worship in the region.

The church has cultural value because it is a physical embodiment of the tools, methods, craftsmanship and ideology of the late 19th century. A place of worship was very important to early settlers and all able-bodied parishioners contributed to its realization. The contributions of local artisans and the use of local building materials give this church uniquely personal features and it is a physical reminder of community spirit.

The St. Andrews Anglican Church is environmentally valuable because it is located near the shore where it can be seen from most surrounding communities and it serves as a landmark to mariners.

Source: Unnumbered HFNL designation file, "Brooklyn - St. Andrew's", 1 Springdale Street, St. John's, NL

Éléments caractéristiques

-multi-gabled, steeply pitched roof;
-delicate gothic bargeboard on gable ends with finials;
-diamond window panes in gothic arch windows;
-square corner spire;
-narrow wooden clapboard;
-interior: all those features that represent Gothic revival;
-beaded wall boards;
-Queen Anne arches and open beams; and
-dimensions, location and orientation of the building.