St. David's Presbyterian Church

Built in 1876 by Scottish, Ulster Irish and English settlers, St. David’s Presbyterian Church is one of only a handful of Presbyterian churches remaining in rural New Brunswick. This wooden, country Neo-Gothic building stands next to a cemetery. It is located on Route 540 in the hamlet of Kirkland, southwest of Woodstock and not far from the American border.

St. David’s Presbyterian Church is designated a Provincial Historic Site because it reflects the religious and cultural ethos of the once thriving rural community it serves. It is also recognized for its architecture.

St. David’s Presbyterian Church has been a focal point for community activities in Kirkland for generations. The church has thus supported local residents as they gathered for regular Presbyterian services of worship. They participated in the rites of baptism, marriage and Christian burial, all in the context of the seasonal activities of lumbering and agriculture. It was built by the original congregation and deeded to that congregation. After a century and a half, the church is still known in the area as “The Kirk,” from which Kirkland gets its name, a continuing acknowledgement of the Scottish connection.

The land for the church and cemetery were donated by two local families, the Kennedys and the Carters, who once lived on each side of the property. The quaint rural cemetery provides a quiet country resting place for many of the founders of Kirkland as well as the generations of their families to follow.

St. David’s Presbyterian Church is also noted for its architectural qualities. Much of the rectangular wooden frame Neo-Gothic church remains in its original condition. It is a rural landmark with its projecting tower and steeple being visible for some distance to the north and south of Kirkland.

Department of Wellness, Culture and Sport - Heritage Branch, Site File: Vol.IX-117

The character-defining elements that relate to the country Gothic architecture of St. David’s Presbyterian Church include:

- rectangular massing;

- sheathed in white clapboards;

- fieldstone foundation;

- original clear window glass;

- stained glass window next to altar;

- high pitched roof;

- simple single lancet windows along both sides;

- three single lancet windows on the façade;

- eaves and eaves returns;

- dentil motif decorating the frieze below the cornice at two stages in the tower;

- square belfry open on all four sides with an octagonal spire.

The interior space is authentic to the last quarter of the 19th century. The character-defining elements include:

- walls sheathed with diagonal polished hardwood laths above the wainscoted base rising to the height of the window sills;

- pump organ;

- original pews;

- altar;

- coal stove near the back.