While Saint John, N.B., is a city rich in history, there are few structures that match the unique façade of Stone Church.
Slabs of stone, first laid during construction in 1824 and 1825, continue to occupy the top of Carleton Street.
Rev. Jasmine Chandra said its style falls under a unique period architecturally, falling under the label of romantic gothic revival.
“It’s this very small time period, sort of between architectural styles, where people decided to build churches in this manner,” Chandra told Global News in an interview Thursday.
However, even a stone church can be damaged by nearly two centuries of wear and tear.
About a year ago, Chandra said they noticed the tower at the top of the church began to shift. It’s since required metal rods for stability and equipment monitoring the structure every 30 minutes to track any movement.
In need of repairs, representatives at the Stone Church entered the National Trust for Canada’s Next Great Save competition, offering the winner of a community vote $50,000 towards a heritage project.
Members of Stone Church have now begun asking the community to vote for their cause in an effort to preserve the building.
“The rest of the stabilization for the tower is going to cost about $100,000, so winning ($50,000) would put us at a halfway mark and then the congregation has actually gone above and beyond in terms of giving themselves and fundraising, and so we do have the other $50,000 to be able to finish that work.”
To be part of the competition, Stone Church required letters of support, which Chandra said they received from MP Wayne Long, and MLA Arlene Dunn.
Stone Church has become a resource for those struggling in the community. This includes free laundry services, programs for seniors and youth and access to food.
“People typically on the margins maybe who are coming in for the first time and not sure what kind of resources there are in the community, and we’re able to help guide them.”
A total of ten heritage buildings across Canada have been selected for the voting stage. Voting will run from Jan. 20 to Feb. 22.
“It’s a piece of our history, it’s also an important, integral part, I would say, of our community and community involvement, so we really need this building to keep going,” Chandra added.
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