Sydenham Heritage Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sydenham Heritage Church |
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Sydenham Heritage Church (6 September 2010)
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| 43°32′50″S 172°38′11″E / 43.54730°S 172.63638°E | |
| Location | Sydenham, New Zealand |
| Country | New Zealand |
| History | |
| Founded | 3 February 1878 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Crouch and Wilson |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Demolished | February 2011 |
The Sydenham Heritage Church was a special stone church in Sydenham, a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It was also known by other names like the Colombo Street Methodist Church. This church was considered a "Historic Place – Category II" by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. This meant it was an important old building worth protecting.
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History of the Sydenham Church
Christchurch was mostly settled by people who followed the Anglican church. However, there was also a group of Methodists. Even though their group was small, they were quite active. In 1864, they built the first stone church in Canterbury, called the Durham Street Methodist Church.
Why a New Church Was Needed
The number of Methodists grew, especially in a working-class area called New Town. This area is now known as Sydenham. Because of this growth, another church was needed. An older church, St James, was moved from central Christchurch to one of the smaller streets in New Town.
However, the Methodists decided that Christchurch South should have its own church area. They felt St James was too small and not in the best spot. So, they looked for a new place to build. They bought land on Colombo Road in 1876. Later, they swapped it for a bigger piece of land further south. This new spot was at the corner of Colombo Road (now Colombo Street) and Pound Road (now Brougham Street).
Building the Church
The design for the new church was created in 1877. It was made in the Gothic Revival style, which looks like old European churches. The architects were a company from Melbourne called Crouch and Wilson. They had also designed the Durham Street Methodist Church.
A local architect named Thomas Lambert oversaw the building work. The church officially opened its doors in February 1878.
Changes and Closure
Over time, fewer people lived in Sydenham because more factories were built there in the 1960s. Also, fewer people were going to church in general. Because of these changes, the Sydenham Heritage Church closed in 1971.
For a while, the Seventh-day Adventist Church rented the building. Later, it was sold to the Christian Congregational Church of Samoa. This Samoan group built a new church in Linwood in 1997. After they moved, a property developer wanted to tear down the old church. This idea made many people in the community upset.
The Samoan group then sold the church to another developer in 1999. This new owner first planned to turn the church into apartments. But in 2001, they also decided to demolish it. Again, people in the community were very unhappy, and the demolition plan was stopped.
Saving and Losing the Church
In 2001, a new group called the Sydenham Heritage Trust bought the building. They got help from the Christchurch City Council with a special loan. The trust worked hard to fix up the church and make it stronger against earthquakes.
However, the building was badly damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. After the earthquake, a demolition company tore down the church. This happened without the owners knowing or agreeing. It also happened without permission from the Historic Places Trust or the city council. An investigation looked into why the church was torn down without proper approval. It was later found that Civil Defence had approved the demolition, though there were questions about whether they had the full legal power to do so. The broken pieces of the church stayed on the site for several years. They were finally removed in mid-2017.
Heritage Listing and Importance
On June 24, 2005, the Sydenham Heritage Church was officially listed as a Category II heritage item. Its special registration number was 3137. This listing meant the building was recognized as an important part of New Zealand's history and culture. It was considered a place that should be protected for future generations.
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The church in 2008
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Damage from the earthquake
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After the church was torn down
