History of Halifax City

by Thomas B. Akins

St. Paul's Church is now, perhaps, the oldest building remaining in Halifax. It was erected at the expense of government in the year 1749, and was esteemed one of the best constructed wooden buildings in America. The oak frame and materials were brought from Boston, and the building was ready for divine service by the autumn of 1750. It received an addition to the north end with a new steeple somewhat similar to the old one in the year 1812. The first sermon was preached in this building by the Rev. Mr. Tutty[92] on 2nd September, 1750. It remained in nearly all respects as at its first erection until certain late alterations have changed its appearance, particularly an addition to the south end from which the fine old altar window, with its Doric pillars and small panes has been removed to make way for a large Gothic window full of painted glass, altogether incompatible with the architecture of the building itself. The old escutcheons in the galleries have been permitted to remain. The walls below are covered with monuments and tablets recording the deaths of governors, military commanders, who fell during the old American and French wars, and not a few of our leading citizens. The most conspicuous are those of Governors Sir John Wentworth, Wilmot, Lawrence, and Sir John Harvey, Capt. Evans of the ship Charleston, who was killed off the coast of Cape Breton in defence of a convoy against a superior French force, Lord Charles Montague, late Governor of Georgia, who died of fatigue after a journey in winter from Quebec to Halifax by land, the Right Rev. Charles Inglis, first Bishop of Nova Scotia, and his son Dr. John Inglis, third Bishop of the Diocese, Baron De Seitz, who commanded the Hessian troops in the old war, General McLean, the Hon. Richard Bulkeley, Attorney General Uniacke, with a number of others of lesser note. The first organ was purchased, partly by private subscription, during the incumbency of Dr. Breynton, about 1765. It was replaced by a new one about 1829, but the old case of Spanish walnut was preserved.[93]

The old German church of St. George, in Brunswick Street, bears the date 1760 on its spire. It was originally erected by private subscription among the German settlers of the north suburbs in or about the year 1752 or '3. After the removal of the Germans to Lunenburg there were but fifteen families of Germans remaining in the north suburbs. This small congregation, not knowing any English, erected the building on the German burial ground as a school house and chapel. The present steeple was erected in 1760, and the following year the building was dedicated as a church by Dr. Breynton of St. Paul's, after which the congregation followed the forms of the Church of England. Dr. Breynton on that occasion preached in German and in French, after which he addressed the congregation in English. In 1783 Rev. Bernard Houzeal, a Lutheran minister, came to Halifax among the Loyalists from New York and, having been ordained a minister of the Church of England by the Bishop of London, became the minister of St. George's, receiving a stipend from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign parts. He died about the close of the last century, a few years after the present round church, known as St. George's, was erected, and Mr. Gray was appointed to the charge, after which service in the old church was discontinued. It was then appropriated as a school house. About the year 1833 or '4 it underwent a thorough repair which was superintended by several persons in the parish who were descendants of the original German settlers.

Old St. Matthew's was coeval with the first settlement of Halifax. Governor Cornwallis assigned a lot at the south-west corner of Prince and Hollis Streets for a dissenting meeting house in 1749. It was built soon after at the expense of government, and was called Mather's Church in compliment to the memory of Dr. Cotton Mather, the celebrated New England Congregationalist divine, by the dissenters then in the town, who were principally from New England and of that denomination. The Rev. Aaron Cleveland, from New England, was the first minister who officiated in this building. The Presbyterians from Scotland and the North of Ireland, having become numerous in the town, soon amalgamated with the American dissenters, and gradually obtained exclusive possession of the building, after which it received the appellation of St. Matthew's Church. The late Rev. Mr. Russell, father of the late George N. Russell, of Halifax, officiated there for some time after it became Presbyterian. Dr. Archibald Gray was the officiating minister there for about twenty years; he was succeeded by Rev. Ebenezer Renny, Rev. Mr. Knox, and finally by Rev. John Scott, the last minister who preached in the old building which was burned in the great fire which destroyed a considerable portion of Hollis Street, on New Year's day, 1859. The lot of land on which it stood was, some years after, sold to Doull & Miller, who erected there a large stone warehouse, which is one of the neatest and most substantial buildings in the city.

The first market house occupied the site of the brick building lately used for the City Courts and offices. It was built soon after the settlement. A balcony ran along the lower side which was used by merchants, etc., as a public promenade. About the commencement of the present century the remains of this old building were removed to make way for the brick edifice. The upper portion of the new building was let as a public coffee house; the large room now used as a City Council Chamber was appropriated for public meetings, festivals, etc., and the south end, above the police office, was occupied for many years as the Exchange or Merchants' Reading Room.

The first court house in Halifax, as before mentioned, stood at the corner of Buckingham and Argyle Streets, where Northup's store and country market stood later. Chief Justice Belcher held his court there in 1755, and the first Representative Assembly held their session there in 1758. It was destroyed by fire about the year 1783. Chief Justice Belcher resided in the old house in Argyle Street to the north of the old Methodist meeting house, formerly owned by the Rev. William Black, Methodist minister. This building, at the time of its removal, was one of the very few old buildings then remaining in the town. It was taken down some years ago and a range of shops and a market house now occupy its site. The old Zoar chapel, the cradle of Methodism in Halifax, has been lately turned into shops.

The stone house at the corner of Prince and Argyle Streets, opposite the south-west angle of St. Paul's Church, was originally built by the Hon. Richard Bulkeley, the first Provincial Secretary, and was his residence for many years. It was purchased by the Hon. H. H. Cogswell about 1818, and since his death has undergone extensive alterations to render it suitable for a public hotel. It is known as the Carlton House. There is an old house still standing on the western side of Grafton Street, in Letter ——, Forman's Division, which was the residence of William Nesbitt, the Attorney General of Nova Scotia and Speaker of the Assembly, in 1760. After the death of Mr. Nesbitt, towards the end of the last century, it fell to his daughter, Mrs. Swann. This old lady died there nearly 80 years ago and the property was afterwards sold. The street was cut down about 50 years since and a story or breast work was erected on the street under this little old cottage which may yet be seen projecting from the main building, presenting the appearance of a balcony. The residence of Richard Gibbons, formerly Attorney General, stood at the corner of Buckingham and Grafton Streets, formerly known as George Isles' corner; it was lately taken down and replaced by a range of brick buildings now owned by Mr. Maloney. This was also one of the remnants of the first settlement of the town. The building at the corner of Barrington and Sackville Streets, formerly occupied as the Halifax Grammar School, is also a very old building. The House of Assembly held its sittings there in 1765, perhaps earlier. After the court house was burned down the Supreme Court met there for several years. It was also used at one time for a guard house. It was devoted to the purpose of a school on the establishment of the Halifax Grammar School in 1785.

Houses of entertainment were numerous and well kept at an early period. The Great Pontack was a large three-story building, erected by the Hon. John Butler, uncle to the late John Butler Dight, previous to 1757, at the corner of Duke and Water Streets, afterwards known as Michael Bennett's corner, now Cunningham's corner. It was the principal hotel in 1764. In 1769 it was kept by John Willis. The town assemblies and other public entertainments were held at the Pontack in 1758.[94]

The Crown Coffee House, frequented by country people, was kept by William Fury in 1769 on the beach near the Dockyard. Jerusalem Coffee House occupied the northern extremity of the block near the Ordnance Yard, opposite Collins' wharf, between Hollis Street and Collins' stone stores. It was built by the Hon. Thomas Saul as a private residence about 1753 and afterwards occupied by the Hon. Alexander Brymer; some of the rooms were highly finished and ornamented with carved work, and the whole establishment was on a scale beyond any other private residence in the place. It was let out for a coffee house about 1789, or perhaps earlier. This old building was destroyed by fire in 1837. The present stone store known as the Jerusalem Warehouse occupies the site of the old mansion.

Public Gardens were much in fashion between 1753 and '80. Adlam's garden was an extensive enclosure south of the Citadel, near the present Artillery Park and south barracks. It was opened to the public, contained a pavilion and a great variety of fruit trees and shrubs. The Artillery Park was then kept on the Grand Parade; the Artillery Barracks stood in a line with the late engine house; the Parade was not levelled at that time; a foot path from George Street passed through the centre, and the descent at the north-east corner was very abrupt.[95] Spring Garden was another place of public resort in 1768. At this time there was a Provincial Gardener, who received an allowance of £32 10s. per annum.[96] About 1764, Mr. Joseph Gerrish, of His Majesty's Dockyard, laid out an extensive garden in the north suburbs and imported fruit trees at great expense. This was a private enclosure, extending from Lockman Street to the beach, south of the Dockyard; his dwelling house stood in the centre and faced the harbor. Part of the old wall, a year or two since, was to be seen in Lockman Street. The old Governor's gardens, west of the English burying ground, were well kept up for about 30 years. There was a large summer house in the centre.

Mr. Grant, the victualling agent, had a large fruit garden south of Government House, where St. Matthew's Manse now stands, extending from Hollis to Pleasant Streets. It was surrounded by a stone wall. Ornamental trees were, at an early period, very numerous in the suburbs, particularly in the south, and tended much to the beauty and comfort of the town. The poplar trees which stood in front of the residence of the late James Kerby and others, in Brunswick Street, and the willows on the eastern side of the street, near the round church, are within the recollection of many of the old inhabitants. The fine old willow trees which occupied both sides of Argyle Street near the residence of the late Attorney General Uniacke, those at the south end of Hollis Street, near the Lumber Yard, and those around St. Paul's Church, are also still within the recollection of many. These trees were all cut down by the Commissioners of Streets in 1829 and 1830, because they grew on the side paths and were therefore deemed an encroachment on the public highway. Halifax was thus denuded of its shady walks by the gentlemen of taste who constituted the Commissioners of Streets at that period. Within the last few years several attempts have been made to re-produce trees on the sidewalks, but with partial success, there being no protection afforded to them by the city authorities.