Kirk was described as “a large, comfortable, and commodious building 
     
     housing the elite of Charlottetown at worship” and giving one the 
     
     impression “of size, magnificence and grandeur." Until recently a few 
     
     of our senior members still remembered the first Kirk which, removed 
     
     to a site to the north of the present manse, served as a Sunday School 
     
     for seventeen years after completion of the present Kirk in 1878. Fol- 
     
     lowing the erection of our present Kirk Hall in 1895 (at a cost of $3,612) 
     
     the old Church was dismantled. 
     
    
   
   
    
     THE SECOND CHURCH ERECTED, 1877- 1878 
     
    
   
   
    
     Following the growth of the Congregation during the twenty-year 
     
     pastorate of Dr. Thomas Duncan (1856-1876) the Congregation de- 
     
     cided to replace the first Church with a larger and more suitable 
     
     sanctuary. Dr. Duncan was succeeded by the Reverend Kenneth 
     
     MacLennan, a minister of unusual gifts as an artist and architect. It is 
     
     mainly due to his influence and inspiration that the present noble 
     
     edifice was designed and erected. Ever since it has been recognized by 
     
     experts as one of the most beautiful sanctuaries in eastern Canada. 
     
     The corner-stone was laid by the Minister June 7th, 1877, and the 
     
     building was opened and dedicated to the Glory of God on October 
     
     20th, 1878. Messrs. MacDonald, MacDonald and Fraser of New 
     
     Glasgow, Nova Scotia, were the builders for a contract price of $20,000. 
     
     Present (1982) replacement costs would exceed one million dollars. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Kirk is built of Wallace (Nova Scotia) freestone, with door- 
     
     way facings. buttresses and windows of red Prince Edward Island 
     
     stone. The building is 77' long, 55’ wide, 59' high, with walls 18" thick. 
     
     The towerspire, with walls 20” thick, reaches to a height of 130’ and 
     
     constitutes one of its most striking features. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Kirk is designed in early Gothic Revival style by Mr. David 
     
     Sterling of the firm of Sterling and Dewar of Halifax. At this time a 
     
     Charlottetown architect, W.C. Harris, was associated with Mr. 
     
     Sterling for the construction and supervision of the building. One 
     
     wonders if Mr. Harris did not have more to do with the design, as one 
     
     of his favorite architectural features, a four centered arch, appears on 
     
     the north wall. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The early Gothic Revival is not so evident on the interior now 
     
     since it has been changed over the years. This architectural style is 
     
     usually solid and heavy but at other times light and rich. Its elements 
     
     consist of ornamentation, carved'capitals on the north columns and 
     
     walls, use of the single pointed arch and narrow openings. These are 
     
     usually without tracery, but tracery in the form of trefoils and quatre— 
     
     foils is evident in this case, and a perpendicular feeling of height. The 
     
     use of clerestory windows is also utilized to enhance this perpendicular 
     
     perception. 
     
    
   
   
    
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