Holy Trinity Anglican Church

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Holy Trinity Anglican Church has survived intact and it is one of two original churches in town (St. Joseph’s Catholic Church dates from 1889).  The Anglicans first started building their church in 1854, however, a windstorm destroyed the partially built building, so construction recommenced in 1856; by 1858 it was finished and consecrated.

The original structure is much the same as that which exists now. The one big alteration was in 1889, when the gallery at the top of the church’s tower was closed in with the present steeple. This was done in order to house the bell donated to the church by Judge Mather Byles DesBrisay, one of Bridgewater’s most prominent citizens. At the same time, his wife, Ada DesBrisay (née Harley), donated the series of four stain glass windows, the highlight of the church’s interior design. A Casavant pipe organ from the famous Quebec company was installed in 1902.

On the outside of the building, the most noticeable feature is the original board-and-batten siding. The church was built in a plain Gothic Revival style, just as it was catching on in North America.  Inspired by medieval architecture, specifically the architecture of North America where wood was plentiful and stone was expensive, it was adapted to wood siding. Though later making use of clapboard and shingles, early versions used board and batten siding to try to mimic the overall aesthetic that stone would provide.

Also breathtaking are the lancet (spear-shaped) windows on the tower, with tracery inside of them to further form pairs of lancets. The design within a design, still with seemingly original glass, shows the craft of the early Anglican congregation. The large trinity window set within the frame of a larger cathedral-style Gothic window also adds a nice touch. Another thing to notice are the "returning eaves" on the front entrances. Though they were used in the Greek Revival architectural style, the polar opposite of Gothic Revival, they appear here, and their positions lend great support to the fact that they were adapted locally for structural support as opposed to pure decoration.

The church has been restored, starting in 2011 and the final phase to be completed this year, 2017.  It is a recognized Heritage Property.

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