Church of the Good Shepherd, Christchurch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of the Good Shepherd |
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Church of the Good Shepherd in March 2011
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| 43°32′13″S 172°39′18″E / 43.5370°S 172.6551°E | |
| Location | Phillipstown, Christchurch |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Previous denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Consecrated | 31 May 1885 |
| Events | 2011 Christchurch earthquake |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Demolished (2011) |
| Heritage designation | Category I (prior to demolition) |
| Designated | 2 April 1985 |
| Architect(s) | Benjamin Mountfort |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1885 |
| Demolished | 2011 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Brick |
The Church of the Good Shepherd was a special church in Phillipstown, a part of Christchurch, New Zealand. It belonged to the Anglican faith. Sadly, this church was taken down after a big earthquake hit Christchurch in 2011.
Contents
History of the Church
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The land for the church was bought in September 1881 for £380. Three people worked together to buy it: Rev Hannibal James Congdon Gilbert, an accountant named James Bowlker, and a storeman named Lewis Aylwin Carrell. In March 1883, they sold the land to the "Church Property Trustees" for a very small amount of money.
Building the Church
The church was built in 1885. It was designed by a famous architect named Benjamin Mountfort. He used a style called Gothic Revival. This style often looks like old European churches. The church was made of red bricks with stripes of stone, which was a popular look in England at the time.
Mountfort also designed a larger church in Napier called St Johns Cathedral. It was built between 1886 and 1888. However, that church was destroyed by the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. This meant the Church of the Good Shepherd became the only brick church designed by Mountfort that was still standing.
Changes and Earthquakes
Mountfort's son, Cyril, helped make the church bigger between 1906 and 1907.
In September 2010, an earthquake damaged the church's gables. Gables are the triangular parts of a wall under a sloping roof. Later that month, more damage happened because of vandalism. On February 22, 2011, another strong earthquake, the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, caused a lot of damage to the church's structure. Because of this, the church had to be taken down later that year.
Why the Church Was Special
The Church of the Good Shepherd was very important because it was the last brick church designed by the famous architect Benjamin Mountfort. He lived from 1825 to 1898. On April 2, 1985, the church was officially listed as a Category I historic place by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. This means it was considered a place of great historical importance. Its special registration number was 1855.
