Kirk Memorial United Church

Kirk Memorial United Church is valued for its age and significance to the local community. The church was built in 1877-78 by community members in Aspen and the surrounding area. It retains many of its original features, combining elements of the Gothic Revival and Greek Revival styles with the New England Meetinghouse form.

The Kirk Memorial United Church is representative of many rural, Protestant churches built in Nova Scotia in the mid to late nineteenth century. It is a symmetrical, wooden, one-storey, large building with a medium-pitch roof, a front gable and a central tower. The symmetry characteristic of the meetinghouse tradition is evident in the church’s centred entry and the set of five windows along each side facade. This symmetry is complimented by the Greek Revival return eaves and cornerboards with modest entablature decoration. A central round window in the tower completes the balanced appearance of the front façade.

The Gothic Revival windows and entranceway, as well as the square steeple tower rising from the front entrance are also immediately noticeable features of this church. Simple tracery caps the arched windows and entrance. These decorative elements are offset by the unadorned exterior of the church and the shortened steeple tower.

The church is still in use today and serves a widespread, rural population in the northeastern interior mainland area of the province.