St Paul’s Presbyterian Church (Former)

3782 Becks-Lauder Road, LAUDER

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Relocated from the small Central Otago town of Becks, to the nearby Lauderdale Estate in 2005, St Paul’s Presbyterian Church (Former) was built for the Presbyterian congregation of the Becks district in 1912. It is [a] good representative example of a timber Gothic church, and has historical and architectural significance. The Presbyterian congregation was active in the Becks district in the 1870s. As early as 1884, the Presbyterian Church Extension Committee had looked at a church site in Becks. Becks was under the charge of the Dunstan Presbytery, and for many years looked after by Naseby-based Reverend James McCosh Smith. It was not until 1911 that an application was made to the Church Erections and Finance Committee for a grant for a new church. Church elder Adam Rolland, from Blackstone Hill Station, provided the impetus for building a church at Becks. Although he returned to Edinburgh in 1882, Rolland made provision in his will for the Presbyterian cause, and in also gave £10 towards the building of a church, and £100 if the residents raised a similar amount. Reverend Smith advertised for tenders on 27 September 1911. The Presbyterian Church Committee accepted the £295 tender of Mills and Baker. John McKnight, a ‘well-known’ Ophir builder designed the church. The Mount Ida Chronicle reported that the building ‘will supply a long felt want in the district, and we may add that this is by no means the only sign of the district’s progress.’ The paper reported in May 1912 that the church ‘though not a large structure it is withal neat, well built and comfortable, the interior being chastely furnished. Built of wood, well painted, and roofed with iron, its exterior with bell and belfry, looks exceedingly attractive’. From 1946 to 1952 after the Becks School burned down, the church was used as a classroom and a number of locals have fond memories of moving pews for Sunday services. In May 2002 St Paul’s closed. In early 2003, David Smythe bought the building and applied to Central Otago District Council to move the church to his nearby property at Lauderdale to use as a wedding venue. The church was moved to Lauderdale, completing the early link between Lauderdale Station and Presbyterian worship in the district. St Paul’s Presbyterian Church is set in a grassy field alongside the mature plantings surrounding the historic Lauderdale Station and the new function centre that provides a venue for weddings and other events. The exterior of the church is rectangular in plan with the building made up of nave, porch and vestry. The weatherboard church has been re-clad in stucco, probably in the 1960s. It has six lancet double hung sash windows with coloured patterned glass in the nave. Similar windows are found in the porch and the vestry. The interior is notable for its extensive use of clear-finished rimu, providing a rich and warm interior. The original windows, doors and their associated locksets and door furniture add to the detail of the interior. In 2016, the former St Paul’s Presbyterian Church continues to be used for weddings as part of the privately owned Lauderdale Estate function venue.

St Paul's Presbyterian Church (Former), Lauder, Otago. Image courtesy of lauderdale.co.nz | www.lauderdale.co.nz
St Paul’s Presbyterian Church (Former), Lauder, Otago | Heather Bauchop | 02/09/2015 | Heritage New Zealand
St Paul’s Presbyterian Church (Former), Lauder, Otago. Rear of St Paul's Church showing the vestry | Heather Bauchop | 02/09/2015 | Heritage New Zealand

Location

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List Entry Information

Overview

Detailed List Entry

Status

Listed

List Entry Status

Historic Place Category 2

Access

Private/No Public Access

List Number

5222

Date Entered

4th April 1990

Date of Effect

5th May 2017

City/District Council

Central Otago District

Region

Otago Region

Extent of List Entry

Extent includes part of the land described Lot 1 DP 351454 (RT 210663), Otago Land District and the building known as St Paul’s Presbyterian Church (Former) thereon. (Refer to map in Appendix 1 of the List entry report for further information).

Legal description

Lot 1 DP 351454 (RT 210663), Otago Land District

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