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Little Dutch Church

2393 Brunswick Street, Halifax, Nouvelle-Écosse, B3K, Canada

Reconnu formellement en: 1981/10/27

Graveyard and side elevation, Little Dutch Church, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2005.; Heritage Division, NS Dept. of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, 2005.
Graveyard and Side Elevation
Little Dutch Church, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2000.; HRM Planning and Development Services, Heritage Property Program, 2005.
Front Elevation
Graveyard, Little Dutch Church, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2005.; Heritage Division, NS Dept. of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, 2005.
Graveyard

Autre nom(s)

Little Dutch Church
St. George's Church

Liens et documents

Date(s) de construction

1756/01/01 à 1756/12/31

Inscrit au répertoire canadien: 2005/07/18

Énoncé d'importance

Description du lieu patrimonial

The Little Dutch Church is the most charming relic of early Halifax that began its life as a modest log cottage. The designation applies to the footprint of the church and the graveyard on the lot it occupies.

Valeur patrimoniale

The Little Dutch Church is valued as the oldest Lutheran Church in Canada. Between 1750 and 1752 approximately 3,000 German, French and Swiss Protestants came to Halifax, encouraged by the British to colonize Nova Scotia. These people became known as the “foreign Protestants” and were given lots in the North End of Halifax. Some stayed in Halifax and others moved on to settle Lunenburg, NS. Those who remained wanted their own church. An existing log home was moved to the corner of Brunswick and Gerrish and centred over a mass grave containing the bodies of approximately 300 of the Foreign Protestants who died of typhus during the crossing. The original name for this building was St. George's Church, until 1812 when St. George's Round Church was opened. The church became known as the Little Dutch Church; Dutch being a misnomer for the word Deutsh, or German in that language. The congregation were German speaking with a Lutheran heritage and followed the doctrines of the Church of England and the church was officially a chapel of St. Paul’s Church.

The Little Dutch Church is also valued for its association with its builder, Christopher Cleesattel. Cleesattel, who was also a lay preacher, was employed to renovate the log structure into a church. Cleesattel arrived in Halifax aboard the "Gale" in 1751 and was a joiner who specialized in fine carpentry. Following the fall of Louisbourg in 1760 the bell from the fortress was purchased by the congregation. An eleven foot extension was added to the original twenty by twenty-nine foot building and a steeple was made which resembled those in the settlers' homeland to support the newly acquired bell. The brass weathercock bears the directions in German such as N (nord), W(west), S(sud), and O(ost).

Architecturally the Little Dutch Church is valued for its construction, building materials, simplicity of style, and diminutive size. Originally built as a house, the Church has retained something of the Cape Cod style in which it was constructed. The addition of the bell tower and steeple gives the Church a very simplified Georgian, Neo-classic flavour. It continues to hold regular services.

Source: HRM Heritage Property File, 2393 Brunswick Street, Little Dutch Church, found at HRM Planning and Development Services, Heritage Property Program, 6960 Mumford Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Éléments caractéristiques

The character-defining elements of the Little Dutch Church include:
- Cape Cod style;
- brick and stone foundation;
- horizontally laid planks with wood shingle cladding walls;
- steeply pitched gable roof;
- simple, rectangular bell tower with round-headed louvered vents on all four sides;
- bell tower capped by a small, octagonal bell-cast or “witch’s hat” spire;
- six of the seven windows are original six-over-six single-hung sashes on six of seven windows;
- wooden shutters on all windows;
- grave beneath building;
- grave yard and grave markers surrounding church;
- reproduction of original eighteenth century rooster weather vane.

Reconnaissance

Juridiction

Nouvelle-Écosse

Autorité de reconnaissance

Administrations locales (N.-É.)

Loi habilitante

Heritage Property Act

Type de reconnaissance

Bien inscrit au répertoire municipal

Date de reconnaissance

1981/10/27

Données sur l'histoire

Date(s) importantes

s/o

Thème - catégorie et type

Établir une vie sociale et communautaire
Les institutions religieuses

Catégorie de fonction / Type de fonction

Actuelle

Historique

Religion, rituel et funéraille
Centre religieux ou lieu de culte
Résidence
Logement unifamilial

Architecte / Concepteur

s/o

Constructeur

s/o

Informations supplémentaires

Emplacement de la documentation

HRM Planning and Development Services, 6960 Mumford Road, Halifax, NS B3L 4P1

Réfère à une collection

Original rooster weather vane is held in the History Collection, Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer Street, Halifax, NS.

Identificateur féd./prov./terr.

23MNS0007

Statut

Édité

Inscriptions associées

s/o

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