St John's Anglican Church, Trentham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John's Anglican Church |
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| St John the Evangelist Church | |
St John's Anglican Church
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| 41°07′49″S 175°02′39″E / 41.13027°S 175.04405°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Dedication | John the Evangelist |
| Consecrated | 1865 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) |
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| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1861–1863 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Timber |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Trentham |
| Diocese | Wellington |
| Province | Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia |
St John's Anglican Church is a special old church in Trentham, Upper Hutt, New Zealand. It's an Anglican church, which is a type of Christian church. This church is one of the oldest Anglican churches still standing in the Wellington region. Because it's so old and important, Heritage New Zealand listed it as a Category 2 historic building on 6 June 1983.
Contents
How St John's Church Began
The land where St John's Church stands today was once part of a large farm. This farm belonged to a man named Richard Barton. He came to New Zealand from England. His old home in England was called Trentham Hall. So, he named his new farm and house in Upper Hutt "Trentham."
Gifts for the Church
The Barton family were very generous. They gave the land for St John's Church. They also helped a lot with building the church. Later, in 1894, they even helped build a house for the vicar (the church's priest).
Building the Church
A person named Rev Frederic Thatcher was in charge of building the church. He was a well-known church architect back then. The first vicar of St John's was Rev John E. Herring. He visited the church on 27 December 1861. He performed his first baptism there on 30 March 1862. Rev Herring didn't stay long. Rev Amos Knell took over on 27 September 1863.
Richard Barton, who owned the farm, was buried at St John's Church. You can also find special brass plaques inside the church that remember him.
Church History and Growth
The building of St John's Church started in 1861. It was finished in 1863. Two years later, in 1865, it was officially made a holy place. This is called "consecration."
Early Church Structure
Rev Thomas Abraham was in charge of the church from August 1865 to April 1868. At that time, only the main part of the church, called the nave, was finished. On 17 December 1865, Bishop Abraham officially consecrated the church building and its land.
Over time, more people moved to the Upper Hutt area. This was especially true after the railway line was completed in 1876. Because more people were settling there, the church needed to grow.
Expanding the Building
In 1884, a new architect, Frederick de Jersey Clere, was hired. He added a chancel and a sanctuary to the church. These are special areas near the altar. A Vestry (a room for the clergy) was added in 1914.
It was sometimes hard to keep vicars in the area during the late 1800s. But in January 1903, Rev Cecil J Smith arrived. He helped to make the church and the local area strong again.
Modern Changes
In the 1950s, St John's Church grew a lot. Two big things happened:
- The church building was made bigger in 1955. They extended the sides of the church.
- A new Parish hall was built in the 1960s. This hall is still used today.
The only other changes to the church building have been small ones. A foyer (an entrance area) was added in the 1980s. In 2004, the old pinex ceilings were replaced with gib board.
The Churchyard and Cemetery
The churchyard at St John's was the first European cemetery in the area. People started being buried there as soon as the land was consecrated in 1865. The oldest gravestone you can find belongs to Richard Barton. He was a very important person who helped start both the church and the district.
Many of Upper Hutt's first settlers are buried here. More than a thousand people in total. Today, no new burials happen here, except for ashes. But it's still a place that people find interesting. The churchyard also has special graves for soldiers. These are from World War I and World War II. Three New Zealand soldiers from World War I and two from World War II are buried here.
