Other Name(s)
1 Ratchford Street
Trinity St. Stephen's United Church
Links and documents
Construction Date(s)
1906/01/01 to 1906/12/31
Listed on the Canadian Register:
2007/11/26
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
1 Ratchford Street, also known as Trinity St. Stephen’s United Church, is a two-and-a-half storey, asymmetrical, Gothic Revival style church that was built in 1906. It stands on the corner of Ratchford and Havelock Streets near the commercial district of Amherst, Nova Scotia. Because there are no other buildings near the church, its striking red sandstone façade and three-storey bell tower are all the more apparent. The building and property are included in the municipal designation.
Heritage Value
1 Ratchford Street is valued as a good example of the Gothic Revival style that was popular for churches and public buildings at the turn of the twentieth century. The building is also valued for its association with local industry.
Architectural Value: The church’s rough-cut stone walls accentuate its large-scale massing. Its steeply pitched roofs contrast sharply beside the high, square, castellated turret that is the church’s bell tower. This three-storey bell tower, with its bands and lancet windows, is easily seen regardless from which side you approach the church. All the doorways and the main windows are distinctly Gothic Revival with their slightly pointed, arched crowns. The north-facing stained glass window is the largest in the church. Placed in the façade beneath this window is a band of small white stones that is in sharp contrast with the red sandstone walls. White stones also decorate the apex of the gable ends of the north and west facing walls. The castellated turret, its fortification-like openings, the contrasting stonework, and the rough-cut stone contribute to the overall fortified and monumental character of the church.
Historical Value: The church is made of brick and of red sandstone from the Amherst Red Stone Quarry, that operated in Amherst between 1889 and 1914. Stone from this quarry was used for buildings through out the Maritimes and Ontario because of its rich red colour and because it was easily carved. The church was built in 1906 to accommodate the growing population of Amherst in this period of industrial, economic, and commercial expansion. It was designed by C. B. Chappell and built by James Reid, both of Sydney, Cape Breton. Both men were involved with erecting other buildings in turn-of-the-century Amherst.
Source: “Heritage Properties Amherst, 1 Ratchford” File, Cumberland County Museum
Character-Defining Elements
Character-defining elements of 1 Ratchford Street include:
- construction of local red sandstone;
- original form and massing;
- contrasting stonework.
Character-defining Gothic Revival elements of 1 Ratchford include:
- pointed, arch-crowned windows and doorways;
- lancet windows;
- castellated turret and parapet;
- stained glass windows with black tracery;
- buttresses.
Recognition
Jurisdiction
Nova Scotia
Recognition Authority
Local Governments (NS)
Recognition Statute
Heritage Property Act
Recognition Type
Municipally Registered Property
Recognition Date
1991/11/18
Historical Information
Significant Date(s)
n/a
Theme - Category and Type
- Building Social and Community Life
- Religious Institutions
- Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
- Philosophy and Spirituality
- Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
- Architecture and Design
Function - Category and Type
Current
Historic
- Religion, Ritual and Funeral
- Religious Facility or Place of Worship
Architect / Designer
C. B. Chappell
Builder
James Reid
Additional Information
Location of Supporting Documentation
"Heritage Properties Amherst" File, Cumberland County Museum and Archives, 150 Church St, Amherst, NS B4H 3C4
Cross-Reference to Collection
Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier
12MNS0010
Status
Published
Related Places
n/a