Durham Street Methodist Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Durham Street Methodist Church |
|
|---|---|
Durham Street Methodist Church c. 1890–1915
|
|
| 43°31′40″S 172°38′00″E / 43.5279°S 172.6333°E | |
| Location | Christchurch Central City |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Previous denomination | Methodist |
| History | |
| Status | Church (1864 – 2010) |
| Founded | 1864 |
| Founder(s) | Samuel Bealey |
| Dedicated | 25 December 1864 |
| Events | |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Destroyed by earthquakes |
| Architect(s) |
|
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Closed | 2010 |
| Demolished | 22 February 2011 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials |
|
The Durham Street Methodist Church was an old Methodist church in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was a very special historic building. Built in 1864, it was designed in the Gothic Revival style. Before it was destroyed, it was the first stone church ever built in the Canterbury area.
The church was badly damaged by an earthquake in September 2010. It then completely fell down in another earthquake in February 2011. Sadly, three workers who were taking apart the organ inside the church died.
Before it was destroyed, the church was listed as a "Historic Place – Category I" by Heritage New Zealand in 1985. This meant it was a very important historic building. The heritage listing was removed in 2011, and the church's ruins were cleared away.
Contents
History of the Church
Christchurch was mostly settled by Anglican people. The group of Methodists was small, but they were very active. Their first church building, which was on High Street, was sold in 1864.
Building the New Church
A competition was held to find the best design for a new church on Durham Street. The winning design came from an architecture company called Crouch and Wilson from Melbourne. Their design was in the Gothic Revival style. A local architect named Samuel Farr came in second place. He was then hired to watch over the construction of the church.
In early 1864, the first stone of the church was laid by Samuel Bealey. He was the leader of the Canterbury Province at that time. The church officially opened on Christmas Day in 1864. This made it Canterbury's first church built with strong, lasting materials. The stone used came from Halswell and Port Hills (a type of rock called basalt) and Charteris Bay (a type of rock called sandstone).
Church Additions and Changes
- In 1869, a gallery was added inside the church.
- In 1875, a schoolroom was built next to the church.
- Later, a house for the minister (called a parsonage) was built facing Chester Street.
- In 1951, a special Memorial Chapel was added. It was built to remember those who died in both World Wars.
Special Historic Listing
On April 2, 1985, the church building was officially listed as a Category I heritage building. This meant it was a very important historic place. In 1987, a glass walkway (called an atrium) was built. It connected the church to the Aldersgate building next door. This building held offices for the church and the Christian Methodist Mission.
In 2011, after the earthquakes, the church's heritage listing was removed.
Earthquake Damage
The church had faced earthquakes before. In 1888, an earthquake in North Canterbury caused a tall, pointed part of the church (a spire) to lean. It had to be removed later.
The church and its hall were badly damaged in the September 2010 earthquake. They were also hit by a strong aftershock on Boxing Day that year. The building completely fell apart in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. At that time, a team of eight workers from the South Island Organ Company were taking apart the organ inside. Sadly, three of these workers died when the church collapsed.
New Building
A new building to replace the old church opened on March 29, 2020. In the courtyard of the new building, there is a special plaque. It remembers the three people who died in the 2011 earthquake.
Inside the Church
The inside of the church was set up like a typical Methodist meeting hall from the Victorian era. It had seating areas (galleries) around the main space. It was designed to hold about 1200 people.
The main speaker's stand (called a pulpit) was made of cedar wood. It was in the middle of the back wall and had two staircases leading up to it. The church's organ was installed in 1902. It replaced an older organ from 1874 that had to be pumped by hand. The newer organ was built in England and was worth about $1 million before the church was destroyed. The church also had four sets of beautiful stained glass windows. These windows were added at different times to remember important events or people.
Images for kids
-
Photo from 1921. The building at right angles is the school that was added in 1873, which can't be seen from Durham Street these days, as the view is blocked by the Methodist Mission
-
The church in November 2010 with steel bracing after the 2010 Canterbury earthquake
-
Ruins of the church in June 2011
