East Gore Presbyterian Church facts for kids

East Gore Presbyterian Church is an old Presbyterian church in Gore, New Zealand. It sits on a hill, looking over the eastern side of the Mataura River.

It first opened in 1881 as the main Presbyterian church for Gore. As the town grew, especially on the western side of the river, new churches were built. This meant the East Gore church began serving only the East Gore area. The famous architect Robert Lawson designed the building. It is known as one of his best wooden churches. Heritage New Zealand lists it as a Category 2 historic building. The church stopped holding Presbyterian services in 1995. It is now being turned into an art centre.

History of the East Gore Church

Why was the church built?

The Presbyterian Church grew quickly in southern New Zealand. By the early 1870s, many European settlers lived in the Mataura Valley. They needed a minister for their area. In 1877, Reverend J. M. Davidson started holding services in Gordon, which is now called East Gore. He held them in a private house and later in Mackay's Hall.

More settlers moved to the area after land was divided up. Gordon (East Gore) was planned in 1877. New buildings like stores, hotels, and a bank quickly appeared. In June 1880, people met to talk about building a church. They decided to build it on Rock Street. They wanted a church big enough for 200 people.

The church was to be built on a high piece of land. Local Māori called this spot Ōnuku. It was a place where a sad song was once made. This area was also used for gathering taramea (speargrass). Taramea was an important ingredient in Māori perfumes. People said the site was "the finest site for a church" in the area.

Designing the church

On June 22, 1880, David Dunn, a church leader, wrote to Robert Lawson. Lawson was a well-known architect in Dunedin. Dunn asked him to design the church. He mentioned that the church should seat about 200 people. He also hoped for a steeple and a bell.

Lawson agreed to design the church. He suggested the church ask for a £200 grant to help with costs. When he showed his plans, he said the design would fit 200 people. He also suggested a different seating plan to fit even more.

The church leaders liked Lawson's plans. They made a few changes. They decided to add a belfry, which is a tower for the bell. They also changed the vestry, a room for the minister. The plans called for strong totara wood for the foundations. Red pine was to be used for other parts. But to save money, white pine was used for much of the building. This softer wood later caused problems with wood-eating insects.

Building the church

After some money discussions, building started. Lawson asked for bids to build the church on February 23, 1881. Ten companies offered to build it. On March 7, 1881, the church committee chose Thomas Latham. He had the lowest bid at £465.

Work began by March 26, 1881. By April 11, the main frame of the church was up. The church's bell, weighing about 90 kg, arrived. It was hung temporarily and rung for the first time on August 12. This was during a fundraising event.

On August 13, 1881, a big storm hit while the church was being built. It caused some damage to the new church. Lawson visited the site to check the damage. He agreed to add four supports and iron rods. These would make the building stronger. In January 1882, the church had cost about £630. Most of this money had already been paid off.

First services and changes

The first church service was held on October 16, 1881. Reverend John Ferguson led the service. The church then looked for its own minister. In 1884, Reverend Andrew Mackay became the temporary minister. He was confirmed in September of that year.

In 1887, an American-made organ was put into the church. This happened after some talks about using musical instruments in worship. Reverend Mackay left in 1890. He went to serve in Sydney. Another minister, Rev. J. A. Asher, took over in November 1890.

Later, a new Presbyterian church was built in Gore. St Andrew's Church Hall opened in 1928. Then, St Andrew's Church opened in 1959. Both were on the western side of the Mataura River.

Expanding the church

In 1891, a new church area was created. It was called the Presbytery of Mataura, with Gore as its center. The church committee quickly asked to make the East Gore church bigger. They also wanted to buy land for another church on the west side of the river.

Once the expansion was approved, William Sharp was hired. He was an engineer and architect from Invercargill. He drew plans to add 108 more seats to the church. He also planned a session house for 60-70 people. His design involved cutting through the church. This turned it into a cross shape. A new main part (nave) was built. The session house was added where the pulpit used to be.

The expansion cost £500. It was built by L. Brown of Invercargill. The new part had similar windows and simple details. This matched Lawson's original design. After the expansion, the church could seat 270 adults. With extra folding seats, it could hold 60 more.

The church officially reopened on February 7, 1892. Reverend Ramsay spoke at the opening. He joked that it was not entirely a new church. He said it was like a gun with a new lock, stock, and barrel.

After the Gore railway-road bridge opened in 1875, the western side of the river grew more. By 1917, the church had 424 members. Many young people also attended Sunday School. In November 1952, East Gore became its own church area. It was then named the East Gore Presbyterian Church. In 1960, the church area boundaries changed again. This left East Gore with fewer members to care for the church.

In 1962, the church had a big renovation. Its foundations were repaired. The spire and roof were painted for the first time since 1881. The outside base of the church was also covered. Work was done inside the building too. In 1964, a hall was built next to the church. It included Sunday School rooms. A separate house for the minister was also built nearby. The church celebrated its 100th birthday in 1981. A history book was published for the event.

As the number of church members went down, maintaining the building became expensive. It was decided to join with St Andrew's Church. All services moved there. A special service was held in 1995 to mark the East Gore church's closing. After it closed, the building was rented for a time by the Gore Apostolic Church. On May 2, 2013, Heritage New Zealand listed the church as a Category 2 Historic Place.

Becoming an art centre

In 2001, the Eastern Southland Gallery bought the church and its hall. Their goal was to fix up the building. They wanted to turn it into an arts centre. This centre would have a special studio for lithography. This is a type of printmaking. It would also have a general printmaking studio. There would be space for painting and other art. A small apartment for visiting artists was planned. There would also be a space for temporary art shows. The plan was to eventually create an art education centre in the main church building.

Work on the project was delayed. The gallery focused on finishing its John Money Wing and Ralph Hotere Gallery first. By 2009, work had started on the art centre project. It was expected to cost about $617,447.

Frans Baetens and Magda van Gils offered to donate a large printing press. It was a 7.5-ton French lithography press from 1874. They also gave other printing equipment. This equipment would be used in the new lithography studio. Baetens and van Gils had brought the press from Europe. They used it in their Muka Studio in Auckland. Their studio has helped New Zealand's art scene a lot. Other people have also given different presses.

The government gave $110,000 to the project in 2016. Other groups also gave money. These included the Mataura Licensing Trust and the Gore District Council. Many businesses and people also helped.

The project was planned in six steps. First, the north-facing wing of the church was cleared out. An apartment for visiting artists was built there. This was in the old Sunday School and Vestry area. Second, the outside of the church was restored. This included replacing the roof and weatherboards. Third, the old windows were copied and replaced. Fourth, the church was painted. Fifth, the hall floor was made stronger for the large printing press. A display area and public toilets were also added. Sixth, the inside of the church was restored. The back garden was also landscaped. Heritage architect Jeremy Salmond guided the restoration. Structural engineer Peter Stevenson also helped.

By August 2020, the community had raised $600,000 for the project. The artist's apartment was finished. Only the art education centre in the main church building was left to do. As of 2018, there are only twenty Voirin presses of this size left in the world.

What does the church look like?

The church has a cross shape when seen from above. It is made of timber and covered with weatherboards. The roof is made of corrugated iron. It sits on a hill in East Gore. From there, it looks over the Mataura River and the town.

The spire on the south side is 15.5 meters tall. It has two tall, narrow windows on the ground floor. Above them are three similar windows with slats. There is a porch and a door on the south side. This leads to a grassy area at the back of the church. The church has little decoration. Its main features are the tall windows, the spire, and the steep roof.

Inside, the main part of the church (the nave) has walls lined with wallboard. The most notable details inside are the King Post trusses. These are wooden beams that run across the ceiling of the nave.