Cultural Significance

This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. The following text is from the original Recommendation for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Spiritual: This well preserved church as been a focus of Anglicanism in the Cheltenham area for over 90 years.

Historic Significance

Historical Significance or Value This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. The following text is from the original Recommendation for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Historical/Social: St Paul's Church, Cheltenham, is of local significance as an Anglican church serving a comparatively late-settled European rural community

Physical Significance

This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. The following text is from the original Recommendation for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Aesthetic: St Paul's, a small box-like church with a steeply-pitched gabled roof of corrugated iron, stands on the crest of a hill in Cheltenham. The church can be seen from up to two kilometres away on the approaching roads; such buildings and their settings form a familiar sight in the New Zealand rural scene. Architectural: This small wooden church was designed by the architect Frederick Jersey de Clere (1856-1952) and was built in 1904. It has many of the stylistic features associated with Victorian Carpenter Gothic. The design and planning are plain and the building is clad in rusticated weatherboards. Other features include the exposed timber framework, plain barge boards, and a board-and-batten cladding on the gable infills; there are ventilator louvres in east and west gables, and a louvred and gabled belfry. The windows are paired shallow trefoil windows in a cruciform frame. Two stained glass windows at the eastern end of the church are dedicated to Henry and Mary Burnell.

Detail Of Assessed Criteria

This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. The following text is from the original Recommendation for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. The following comments are made in relation to the criteria identified under S.23(2) of the Historic Places Act 1993. b) The association of the place and events, persons or ideas of importance in New Zealand history: This small rural church is representative of the history of institutionalised religion in New Zealand. The construction date is late by North Island standards, but would appear to be logical in view of the timeline for European development of this part of the country. The construction of the modest building and subsequent additions of the church hall and alterations to the belfry etc, reflect the growth in needs and resources within the parish. The architect, Frederick Jersey de Clere, was a figure of some importance within his industry. c) The potential of the place to provide knowledge of New Zealand history: St Paul's has a modest potential to provide knowledge of some aspects of local history. The church's commanding location, although now somewhat masked by trees and surrounding housing, gives it a landmark status within the community. h) The symbolic or commemorative value of the place: Two stained glass windows at the eastern end of the church are dedicated to Henry and Mary Burnell, early parishioners. There is a Great War memorial in the grounds; St Paul's was the first church in the district to have a war memorial. Conclusion: St Paul's Church, Cheltenham, is recommended for registration as a Category II as a place of historical and cultural heritage significance and value. St Paul's is representative of small North Island churches built early this century and has aesthetic appeal due to both its design by the architect, Frederick Jersey de Clere, and its commanding location.