St. Barnabas Anglican Church

The St. Barnabas Anglican Church was designated a registered heritage structure because it has historic and aesthetic values.

St. Barnabas Anglican Church is historically valuable because it is associated with Canon J. T. Richards and his tireless attempts as a missionary. His ties with the coastal people of Newfoundland and Labrador were forged through his mission work and it was Canon Richards who recognized the people of his mission were skilled and capable of curing and tanning seal skins, as well as producing quality seal skin boots. St. Barnabas Church is locally known as the “Skinboot Church” because Canon Richards commissioned the local people to make skin boots to sell and raise money for the construction of the church. In the days before government funding for such projects and in an area where money was scarce Richards set about raising funds to build a proper church through the efforts of him and the parishioners. The motivation to have a place of worship launched an industry to make seal skin boots and it became a $15,000 a year project. A secondary goal was to provide employment for the coastal people. St. Barnabas was begun in 1919 and through this new industry, as well as the generosity of parishioners in the forms of money and labour the church was completed in 1931.

The St. Barnabas Anglican Church has aesthetic value because it is an excellent example of Gothic Revival style architecture. The simple composition, careful massing of components and the considered use of detail help construct a singularly well-proportioned and handsome church. The church reflects a simple basilica format without a transept and the main nave is flanked by two lower six-bay aisles. Included in these are stained glass clerestory windows. The remaining Gothic arch windows also contain stained glass. The use of an apse-like bay on the western end is repeated on the eastern end in a second apse. The prominent tower steeple with its flared base and four small corner spires caps a louvered bell tower section with its own base containing the entire vestibule. The simplicity of design and the clean lines contribute to the overall pleasing look of this church.