A Look Inside Fredericton’s Historic Churches
Have you ever wondered about the stories behind the many historic churches scattered about the City of Fredericton? Wonder no more because today we’re going to take a look inside six of Fredericton’s historic churches!
Christ Church Cathedral | 150 Church Street
First on the list is the Christ Church Cathedral. The National Historic Site is found near the Saint John River on the grounds where the English Settlers and American Loyalists’ church, Christ Church, presided in the 18th century. This church is the first to be constructed in North America! Construction on the cathedral began in 1845 overseen by Bishop John Medley in the Gothic Revival style. The original plans involved a twin tower design, but due to the high cost of construction only one was built. The Cathedral was finally completed in 1853, 8 years later. On July 3rd, 1911, lightning struck the Cathedral, the bells melted and fell to the ground as a result. The only way to truly appreciate the beauty of this building is to see it for yourself, head on over to the cathedral for a guided, or self-guided, tour.
Fun Fact: Christ Church Cathedral is the home of ‘Little Ben’ a complete working model for ‘Big Ben’ in London, England!
Christ Church Parish Church and St. Anne’s Chapel of Ease | 245 Westmorland Street
St. Anne’s Chapel of Ease, a National Historic Site located in downtown Fredericton, and Canada’s first free church. Many famous Frederictonians have ties to the church, including Willie O’Ree, who was an altar boy! The Anglican Chapel was competed in 1847 and is said to be the finest gothic revival church of its size in all of North America. The three bells that are placed 64 feet in the air were cast by The Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London England, the largest of the three weighs 532 pounds. There is a low stone wall that surrounds the building, the wall also incorporates a lych-gate. The gate is believed to be one of a small few remaining in North America. Want to check out all the details in person? Visitors are welcome to take a tour with a tour guide Tuesday to Friday between 10am and 1pm during the months of July and August.
Wilmot United Church | 473 King Street
Wilmot United Church is located in downtown Fredericton on the corner of King Sreet and Carleton Street, the church was built in 1852 by the Fredericton Methodist Society and is known as one of the last great wooden churches which towered over 19th century Fredericton. Until 1974 the spire of the church was decorated with a uniquely crafted 7 foot upward pointed hand carved from pine. The hand can now be seen in the sanctuary of the church. The church is named after the first Indigenous- born New Brunswicker to be named Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, Lemual Allan Wilmot, who joined the United Church of Canada in 1925 when Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches united. If you’ve just added Wilmot United Church as another stop on your tour of Fredericton’s historic churches, make sure to contact the church’s office at (506) 458-1066 before stopping by to admire the architecture.
Brunswick Street Baptist Church | 161 York Street
Located right in the core of downtown Fredericton stands the beautiful Brunswick Street Baptist Church. The purple sandstone Neo-Gothic church was designed by D.E. Dunham, an architect from Saint John, N.B. Built in 1883 in the Gothic style, it is a building that is hard to miss with a 68-foot tower and spire soaring into the city’s sky-line. Visitors are more than welcome to come inside and admire the devout craftsmanship of the building, self-guided tours are open from Monday to Friday, 9am-4:30pm.
St. Paul’s United Church | 224 York Street
St. Paul’s United Church, which is a National Historic Site, began holding worship services in 1886. In 1925 the church, which was originally Presbyterian, became a United Church of Canada when the act of Union came into effect. The building is in the style of High Victorian Gothic Revival with characteristics such as a soaring corner tower, a tall spire, the unique stonework, a copper roof and stained glass windows. Looking to admire this building? Visitors are more than welcome to look at the church on their own or they can take a guided tour, available from June to August. Contact the church directly at (506) 458-1183 for more tour information!
St. Dunstan’s Church | 120 Regent Street
Upon completion of this church in 1845, St. Dunstan’s became the cathedral and Episcopal Seat of the diocese – the first Roman Catholic Cathedral built in the new diocese of New Brunswick. The British government made a donation to the church with the understanding that British soldiers stationed in Fredericton were to have seats in the church free of charge! Today, look for Bishop Dollard’s Episcopal chair that occupies a place of honour at St. Dunstan’s, and a moving painting of “The Crucifixion”, a gift to Bishop Dollard from his friends in Quebec.
Anglican Parish of St. Peter | 2375 Woodstock Road
Found just west of Fredericton is the Parish Church of St. Peter. St. Peter’s is the oldest church building of any denomination in Fredericton, the parish of Kingsclear was settled by the Loyalists in 1783. The church was constructed in 1837 and opened for worship around the holiday season in 1838 and has been in continual use ever since for over 180 years. The church is wood framed and stands on a crude rubble stone foundation. The cemetery on the east side of the church predates the building by at least twenty years. This church exhibits the long history of the City of Fredericton.
Fredericton’s historic churches definitely have many more stories to tell. Whether you decide to take a walk around the city and admire the churches from afar or take a deep dive into the architecture of this historic churches by touring them all, you can’t go wrong!
