Church of St John the Evangelist, Westport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St John the Evangelist |
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| St John's Anglican Church | |
St John the Evangelist in 2020
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| 41°45′10″S 171°36′5″E / 41.75278°S 171.60139°E | |
| Location | 67 Queen Street, Westport |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | John the Evangelist |
| Consecrated | 1924 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Completed | 1924 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Timber |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Buller |
| Deanery | Mawhera |
| Diocese | Nelson |
| Province | Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia |
The Church of St John the Evangelist, also called St John's Anglican Church, is a special old church in Westport. It's on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. This church was finished in 1924. It's made of wood and has a special "heritage" status. This means it's an important historical building. Heritage New Zealand gave it this status in 1989.
A Look Back in Time
The very first Church of St John the Evangelist in Westport was officially opened on 28 August 1869. The Bishop of Nelson, Andrew Suter, led the ceremony. But by 1911, the church was too small for everyone.
Plans were made for a new, bigger church. A famous architect named Frederick de Jersey Clere designed it. He planned for it to be made of brick. However, World War I started, and the building plans stopped. The bricks bought for the new church were sold in 1923.
Building the Church
The church you see today was built in 1924. It stands in the same spot as the first church. This church is made of timber, which is wood. It has weatherboards on the outside.
The church's design is a simpler version of the Gothic revival style. This style often has tall, pointed arches and big windows. This church has a very steep roof. It also has tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. These windows appear alone or in groups of three. The church also has buttresses, which are strong supports on the outside walls. They help keep the building stable.
Why This Church is Special
On 21 September 1989, the Church of St John the Evangelist was named a Category 2 historic place. This was done by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. This means the church is important to New Zealand's history. It is still used today as one of the three churches in the Buller Anglican Parish.
