St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church Municipal Heritage Site

St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church has been designated a municipal heritage site by the Town of Conception Bay South due to its aesthetic and historic values.

St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church has aesthetic value as a vernacular interpretation of a nineteenth century Gothic Revival church. Its wooden construction is typical of Anglican churches built in outport Newfoundland during the nineteenth century. The pristine state of the structure provides valuable insight into the materials and techniques used in constructing such churches.

The exterior of the church gives the impression of a cozy, community-oriented building. Clad in narrow wooden clapboard, this church has a bell tower which features a spire and Celtic cross finial. The steeply pitched gable roof and trefoil appliqués on the windows are in keeping with Gothic Revival style elements. A large, stained glass, peaked window graces the eastern wall, where the altar is located. Entrance to the church is gained through the bell tower’s wooden plank doors. Other than the trefoil appliqués in the windows, eaves brackets on the tower are the only decoration on the exterior of the church.

St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church has further aesthetic value due to its picturesque setting within a cemetery bordered by tranquil roads, namely Church Terrace and Spruce Hill Road.

St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church has historical value due to its age. The church was constructed in 1860-61, making it one of the oldest buildings in Topsail. It was used for over 100 years by the Anglican community in Topsail and has changed very little in that time. Though regular ecumenical services ended in 1974, the church is open to the public regularly, and can still be used for private services such as weddings and flower services.

The church has further historic value due to its association with several prominent Newfoundlanders, including influential public figures James Bancroft, founder of the Newfoundland Teacher’s Association, and Sir Edgar R. Bowring, politician. The church was also the setting for an episode of the popular CBC television program Pigeon Inlet.