St Luke's Church, Christchurch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Luke's Church |
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St Luke's Church three days after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake
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| 43°31′34″S 172°38′24″E / 43.5261°S 172.6401°E | |
| Location | Corner of Kilmore and Manchester Streets, Christchurch |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Previous denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Church (former) |
| Founded | 3 September 1908 |
| Founder(s) | Bishop Churchill Julius |
| Consecrated | 17 October 1909 |
| Events | 2011 Christchurch earthquake |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Demolished |
| Heritage designation | Category II |
| Architect(s) | Cyril Mountfort |
| Architectural type | Church (former) |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Construction cost | NZ£9,800 |
| Closed | February 2011 |
| Demolished | July 2011 |
St Luke's Church was a beautiful old church in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was an Anglican church, which is a type of Christian church. This church was built on a special piece of land chosen for churches in the city's early days. It was even listed as a historic building, meaning it was important to New Zealand's past. Sadly, a big earthquake in February 2011 badly damaged the church. Because of this, it had to be taken down in July 2011.
Contents
History of St Luke's Church
Early Beginnings: The First Church
The land where St Luke's Church stood was chosen way back in 1850. It was one of five spots in central Christchurch set aside for Anglican churches. The very first church on this spot was called the Chapel of Ease. It was built between 1858 and 1860. This was the second Anglican church ever built in Christchurch. People at the time thought it looked "ugly and barn-like." It was later made bigger in 1871. The Chapel of Ease was taken down in 1908 to make way for a new building.
Designing the New St Luke's
The new St Luke's Church was designed by Cyril Mountfort. His father, Benjamin Mountfort, was also a famous architect. Cyril designed St Luke's in a style called Gothic Revival. This style looks like the grand old churches from the Middle Ages. St Luke's looked similar to two other churches designed by Cyril's father. One was in Phillipstown, which was also taken down in 2011. The other was in Napier, destroyed by an earthquake in 1931.
Building and Opening the Church
The first stone for St Luke's Church was laid by Bishop Julius on September 3, 1908. Building the church took about 13 months. It cost around NZ£9,800 at the time. The church was officially opened and blessed on October 17, 1909, by Bishop Julius.
St Luke's in Art and History
St Luke's Church was so special that its beautiful stained glass windows were featured on New Zealand postage stamps. In 1995, four Christmas stamps showed scenes from these windows.
The 2011 Earthquake and Aftermath
The church was severely damaged during the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The earthquake caused a lot of shaking and destruction across the city. Because of the damage, the church could no longer be used. It was officially closed and then taken down in July 2011. You can even see the church in a video about the earthquakes called When A City Falls.
Even though the church building is gone, the church community is still active. They continue to meet and offer support services. They hold their services in other places, like the Mary Potter Community Centre and Knox Presbyterian Church. There are also morning prayers held on the original St Luke's site. It is not yet known if a new church building will be built there.
Historic Status
St Luke's Church was recognized as an important historic building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. It had a Category II heritage listing. This means it was considered a place of historical or cultural importance. The old house where the church's vicar lived, called St Luke's Vicarage, is also a historic building. It was listed as a Category I heritage building in 1990 and is still standing today, being restored.
