All Saints Church, Palmerston North facts for kids

Quick facts for kids All Saints Church
All Saints Church in 2014
40°21′29.5″S 175°36′38.8″E / 40.358194°S 175.610778°E / -40.358194; 175.610778
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's an Anglican church, which is a type of Christian church. A famous architect named Frederick de Jersey Clere designed it. The church has been closed since 2013 because of worries about earthquakes, but people are working to make it strong again.

Where is All Saints Church?

The land for the church was bought in 1875 by Bishop Octavius Hadfield. You can find the church on Church Street, just off the Square. Right across the street is the Grand Hotel, another important old building.

History of the Church

The very first stone for a church on this spot was laid on September 29, 1875. This was done by Louisa Snelson, whose husband, George Snelson, helped found Palmerston North. The church was named after Saint George.

The first church quickly became too small. So, in 1881–82, a bigger church was built. The original building was then used as a side part of the new, larger church. Later, another section was added to make it even bigger.

Designing the New Church

In 1883, Frederick de Jersey Clere became the main architect for the Anglican Diocese of Wellington. He designed over 100 churches for them! In 1905, he was asked to draw plans for a new church, which would have been the third one on the site. His first design wasn't 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 brand new building. In 1913, Clere was asked again to create a design.

Building the Brick Church

Clere designed the church in an English Gothic style. This means it looks like old churches from England. He chose bricks as the main building material. The church was designed to hold 950 people.

Work on the church started in February 1913. The foundation stone was laid on November 7, 1913, but the weather was very bad that day. Clere's son, Herbert Clere, watched over the building work from his office in Palmerston North.

The church officially opened on May 6, 1914. Bishop Sprott from Wellington led the opening ceremony. The altar was blessed, but the church itself wasn't fully consecrated yet. This was because the church still had some debt. It cost about NZ£7,800 to build, and NZ£1,500 was still owed. The church was finally consecrated on October 29, 1916, after the debt was paid off.

Special Features Inside

• Stained Glass Windows: The first stained glass window was put in soon after the church opened. It remembers early church members, James and his wife Skerman. Another window was added to remember Henry Scott McKellar, who helped start the Anglican Church in New Zealand. The large Great East Window was installed in 1924 to remember soldiers who died in World War I.
• Memorial Lamp: The Scout and Guide Corner has a special lamp. It remembers the people who died in the Tangiwai disaster on Christmas Eve in 1953.
• Altar and Reredos: Frank Guernsey carved the altar from Oamaru stone in 1939. He also carved the reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar) from kauri wood in 1944.
• Organ: The church's organ was installed in 1929.

Heritage Status

All Saints Church is a very important historical building. It was officially listed as a Category I heritage building on November 16, 1989. This listing was done by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, now called Heritage New Zealand. Its registration number is 191.

Why the Church is Closed

After the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, many buildings in New Zealand were checked for safety. The Palmerston North City Council found that All Saints Church was not strong enough to handle a big earthquake. It only met 3% of the required strength.

Because of this, the church leaders announced in November 2012 that the church would close. It officially closed 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 cracks appeared, and a stone figure even fell off the altar and broke.

In April 2014, it was estimated that making the church strong enough would cost around NZ$4 million. People are working hard to raise this money. In October 2015, the church parish officially decided to go ahead with strengthening the building.

Past Leaders (Vicars)

Here are some of the vicars who have served All Saints Church since the first building was put up:

• Rev J. A. Newth (1878–1880)
• Rev J. Lloyd Keating (1880–1882)
• Rev W. A. Leech (1883–1884)
• Rev H. E. Copinger (1884–1887)
• Rev H. B. Harvey (1887–1895)
• Rev H. F. Hunt (1895–1900)
• Venerable Archdeacon Harper (1900–1910)
• Rev H. G. Rosher (1911–1915)
• Rev H. G. Blackburne (1915–1924)
• Rev Canon William Fancourt (1924–1929)
• Rev Canon George Young Woodward (1929–?)
• Rev Brian Carrell
• Rev John Wilson
• John Marquet (2007–2016)
• Nigel Dixon