Description
Elliston Salvation Army Citadel is a one-storey, gable-roofed structure built in 1901-02 and exhibiting elements of the Gothic Revival style of architecture. It is situated near two other historic church buildings in a central location in Elliston, NL. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Statement of Significance
Formal Recognition Type
Registered Heritage Structure
Heritage Value
Elliston Salvation Army Citadel was designated a Registered Heritage Structure by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2016 due to its historic, cultural, and aesthetic value.
Elliston Salvation Army Citadel has historic value due to its association with The Salvation Army’s early inroads in Newfoundland and Labrador. The first Salvation Army-style meeting was held on the island in 1885 and the formal “invasion” took place the following year. Until 1887 only four corps had been established outside St. John’s. The Elliston (then known as Bird Island Cove) corps was established in 1887 and the first officer was assigned to the community in 1889. By 1901, when the Citadel was built by Captain W. Reader, membership reached a high of just over 60 souls.
Elliston Salvation Army Citadel has cultural value as a rare example of early Salvation Army architecture. In contrast with other common Christian denominations, such as Catholicism, Anglicanism, and Methodism, The Salvation Army attributed little importance to its architecture in outport Newfoundland and Labrador. Rural corps routinely held meetings outdoors or in members’ homes. That a dedicated church building was built and maintained in Elliston speaks to the importance of the faith to its local adherents.
Elliston Salvation Army Citadel has aesthetic value due to its architectural style. Unlike the more common styles of Salvation Army architecture – first gable-roofed structures with Tudor Revival elements and later featuring twin turrets and large pediments or false fronts – Elliston Salvation Army Church exhibits details of the Gothic Revival style. These elements include pointed arch windows, a steep-pitched gable roof, and decorative bargeboard. The windows especially may reveal architectural influence from nearby St. Mary’s Anglican Church. Elliston Salvation Army Citadel is a good example of the simplified or rural expression of this style of architecture.
Source: Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador property file “Elliston – Elliston Salvation Army Citadel – FPT 2964”
Character Defining Elements
All original features which relate to the age and style, including:
-number of storeys;
-steep gable roof;
-narrow wooden clapboard;
-wooden cornerboards and trim;
-Gothic bargeboard;
-different window arrangements at each gable end;
-arched Gothic wooden windows with gridded muntins;
-size, style, trim, and placement of wooden windows;
-size, style, trim, and placement of wooden doors;
-location of building near historic Methodist/United and Roman Catholic churches and;
-dimensions and orientation of building.
Location and History
Community
Elliston
Municipality
Town of Elliston
Civic Address
Coles Road
Construction (circa)
1901 - 1901
Style
Rectangular Long Façade
Location
Similar Heritage Properties