All Saints Church, Palmerston North facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints Church |
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All Saints Church in 2014
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| 40°21′29.5″S 175°36′38.8″E / 40.358194°S 175.610778°E | |
| Location | Palmerston North |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint George |
| Dedicated | 6 May 1914 |
| Consecrated | 29 October 1916 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Closed for earthquake strengthening |
| Architect(s) | Frederick de Jersey Clere |
| Style | English Gothic architecture |
| Years built | February 1913 – May 1914 |
| Groundbreaking | 15 February 1913 |
| Construction cost | NZ£7,800 |
| Closed | 1 April 2013 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 950 |
| Materials | bricks |
All Saints Church is a special old church in Palmerston North, New Zealand. It belongs to the Anglican faith. A famous architect named Frederick de Jersey Clere designed it. The church has been closed since 2013 because of worries about earthquakes. But there are plans to make it strong again!
Contents
Where is All Saints Church?
The land for All Saints Church was bought way back in 1875 by Bishop Octavius Hadfield. The church is on Church Street, very close to a main area called the Square in Palmerston North. Right across the street is the Grand Hotel, another important old building.
The Church's Story
Building the First Churches
The very first stone for a church on this spot was placed on September 29, 1875. Louisa Snelson, whose husband George helped start Palmerston North, did the honors. The church was named after Saint George. The first building quickly became too small. So, in 1881–82, a bigger church was built. The original building then became a side part of the new, larger church. Later, a southern aisle (a side section) was added to make it even bigger.
Designing the Current Church
In 1883, Frederick de Jersey Clere became the main architect for the Anglican churches in the Wellington area. He designed over 100 churches during his career! In 1905, he was asked to draw plans for a brand new church, which would have been the third one on the site. His first design was not chosen.
However, a new church was still needed. In 1910, the existing wooden church was moved to the back of the property. This made space for a new, even larger building. In 1913, Clere was asked again to create a design.
Building the Brick Church
Clere designed the church in an English Gothic style. He made sure to use bricks as the main building material. The church was designed to hold 950 people. John Henry Meyer was the builder, and he started work in February 1913.
The foundation stone was laid on November 7, 1913, by Bishop Sprott. The weather was very bad that day! Herbert Clere, the architect's son, watched over the building work from his office in Palmerston North. The church officially opened on May 6, 1914. Bishop Sprott consecrated (made holy) the altar during the opening. However, the whole church was not consecrated yet. This was because of a rule that churches could only be consecrated once all their building debts were paid off.
The church cost about NZ£7,800 to build. There was still NZ£1,500 left to pay. The church was finally consecrated on October 29, 1916, by Bishop Sprott.
Inside the Church
The church has many beautiful features inside:
- The first stained glass window was put in soon after the church opened. It remembers early church members, James Skerman and his wife.
- Another stained glass window was added just before the church was consecrated. It remembers Henry Scott McKellar, who helped start the Anglican Church in New Zealand.
- The Great East Window was installed in 1924. It is a special memorial to soldiers who died in World War I.
- The Scout and Guide Corner has a memorial lamp. This lamp remembers the victims of the Tangiwai disaster that happened on Christmas Eve in 1953.
- Frank Guernsey carved the altar from Oamaru stone in 1939. He also carved the reredos (a screen behind the altar) from kauri wood in 1944.
- The organ was installed in 1929.
Special Heritage Status
All Saints Church is a very important historical building. On November 16, 1989, it was officially listed as a Category I heritage building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. This means it is one of the most important historical places in New Zealand.
Church Closure and Future Plans
After the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, many buildings in New Zealand were checked for earthquake safety. The Palmerston North City Council found that All Saints Church was not strong enough. It only met 3% of the required building strength. Because of this, the church leaders announced in November 2012 that the church would close on April 1, 2013, after the Easter service.
Just a few months later, the July 2013 Seddon earthquake caused some cracks in the brickwork. The church also had minor damage in the 2014 Eketahuna earthquake. More mortar and bricks cracked, and a stone figure fell from the altar and broke.
In April 2014, it was reported that making the church strong enough for earthquakes would cost about NZ$4 million. People started working to raise this money. In October 2015, the church leaders formally decided that the church should be strengthened.
Images for kids
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All Saints Church in 2014
