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of Christ Church began in 1831 and was completed the following year. This frame church was
designed in the Gothic Revival style, used in churches of that period. The Anglican
congregations had been formed about 1822 in this part of Marlborough and Oxford Townships,
where the earliest settlers on the Rideau had located. It was ministered to by the
Reverend Robert Blakey, Rector of Prescott until 1829 when the Reverend Henry Patton was
appointed missionary to this region. Under his guidance, plans were made to erect a house
of worship. In 1830, Daniel Burritt donated land for a church and burying grounds at the
rapids bearing his name. In 1834, the church was consecrated as Christ Church by the Right
Reverend Charles James Stewart, Bishop of Quebec. In 1931 a stone cairn was
erected on the church grounds as a centennial memorial to the brave pioneers who initiated
its construction. The stone coping on the top of the cairn came from the Burritt family
farm in Bennington, Vermont.
With no major
alterations until 1992, this small church, one of the earliest on the Rideau, has served
the Marlborough congregation for over 160 years. It has been described by Barbara
Humphries, Architectural Consultant, Canadian Inventory of Historic Buildings, as typical
in many ways of the early rural churches of the province, which were designed almost
without exception in the Gothic Revivial style. A simple rectangular shape and pointed
arched windows and door openings are the basic features of these buildings. Individualism
is usually found in the design of the tower and spire or in the addition of a decoration
accenting the windows.
Christ Church had both
an accenting window of circular design and a decorative tower. The window is found on the
tower under a pediment of Classic Revivial style. The design of the tower is a highly
vernacular interpretation of the Gothic Revival style with the characteristic quoins,
crenellations and pinnacles.
Christ Church remains
an active Christian community doing ministry within the village of Burritt's Rapids and
the surrounding area. We continue to look for new ways to serve God in our area as we
share the Good News of Christ Jesus with those around us. We pray that God, who blessed
the efforts of those who preceeded us, will continue to bless our efforts today and in the
future.
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