Completed in 1896 to a design by Frederick de Jersey Clere, St Simon and St Jude Church has subsequently been the centre of Anglican activities in the small Manawatu rural town of Rongotea. This church bears features characteristic to Clere's Gothic Revival style country churches and was the model for several other buildings he designed in this period.
After a tentative start due to the dubious dealings of Robert Campbell in acquiring the Douglas Block, by the late 1890s Rongotea had all of the facilities one would expect of an established small town at the heart of a rural district. This included a disproportionate number of churches of a variety of denominations, which lead to the town being nicknamed 'The Holy City.' St Simon and St Jude Church was built during this period and was the result of the local Anglican community growing and coalescing to the point where a purpose-built church was feasible and then their efforts to fundraise and construct the building. Upon completion the church was hailed as a success and became the centre of the Anglican community's activities. In the early twentieth century this church became the centre of the local parish and accumulated surrounding land and a vicarage. Financial concerns later in the century meant that some of this property was sold. However, the proceeds went into a St Simon and St Jude Church trust, which in combination with support and contributions from the local community has meant that the church is well maintained. Over the years congregants have donated various items to the building, notably the various stained glass windows, the most recent of which was installed in 2006.
St Simon and St Jude Church is an example of Clere's timber Gothic Revival style country churches and features key elements which are characteristic of his work and the style in general, including a straight forward design with minimal exterior decoration, steep pitched gables and a steeple which create the vertical emphasis desired in Gothic Revival style architecture, extensive use of timber linings and fittings, as well as a series of straight-point lancet windows. This church is noteworthy because it is relatively unchanged and because the design was used as the basis for three other contemporary Clere churches.
The building has architectural significance because its features mean it is a characteristic example of the work of Clere, who is a prominent New Zealand architect, as well as of vernacular Gothic Revival style New Zealand country church architecture in general. The well-maintained condition of St Simon and St Jude Church points towards the status with which the building is held by the congregation it has, and continues to, serve. Early churches were historically and socially important to the towns and areas they served; often being markers of the progress of that community's transition from a disparate settlement into an established town. This is certainly the case with St Simon and St Jude Church, the first and only Anglican church in Rongotea, which was renowned for its churches.
After a tentative start due to the dubious dealings of Robert Campbell in acquiring the Douglas Block, by the late 1890s Rongotea had all of the facilities one would expect of an established small town at the heart of a rural district. This included a disproportionate number of churches of a variety of denominations, which lead to the town being nicknamed 'The Holy City.' St Simon and St Jude Church was built during this period and was the result of the local Anglican community growing and coalescing to the point where a purpose-built church was feasible and then their efforts to fundraise and construct the building. Upon completion the church was hailed as a success and became the centre of the Anglican community's activities. In the early twentieth century this church became the centre of the local parish and accumulated surrounding land and a vicarage. Financial concerns later in the century meant that some of this property was sold. However, the proceeds went into a St Simon and St Jude Church trust, which in combination with support and contributions from the local community has meant that the church is well maintained. Over the years congregants have donated various items to the building, notably the various stained glass windows, the most recent of which was installed in 2006.
St Simon and St Jude Church is an example of Clere's timber Gothic Revival style country churches and features key elements which are characteristic of his work and the style in general, including a straight forward design with minimal exterior decoration, steep pitched gables and a steeple which create the vertical emphasis desired in Gothic Revival style architecture, extensive use of timber linings and fittings, as well as a series of straight-point lancet windows. This church is noteworthy because it is relatively unchanged and because the design was used as the basis for three other contemporary Clere churches.
The building has architectural significance because its features mean it is a characteristic example of the work of Clere, who is a prominent New Zealand architect, as well as of vernacular Gothic Revival style New Zealand country church architecture in general. The well-maintained condition of St Simon and St Jude Church points towards the status with which the building is held by the congregation it has, and continues to, serve. Early churches were historically and socially important to the towns and areas they served; often being markers of the progress of that community's transition from a disparate settlement into an established town. This is certainly the case with St Simon and St Jude Church, the first and only Anglican church in Rongotea, which was renowned for its churches.
