Saint Mary’s Anglican Church Hillsborough
This church is historically significant as a symbol of the development of the Anglican Church.
Throughout the British colonial empire, being affiliated with the Church of England was often seen as a social advantage. For example, three-quarters of the signatories of the American Declaration of Independence were members of the Church of England. However, this affiliation became a disadvantage after the American Revolution, leading many Anglicans to flee to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In 1789, the Church of England in the United States changed its name to the Episcopal Church to avoid association with royalist sympathizers.
Anglican clergy began holding meetings in what is now Albert County as early as 1820, but it wasn’t until 1861 that a congregation was established in Hillsborough. The congregation initially met in different halls until they raised funds to build their own church in 1886. When they faced financial shortages, the Tompkins Family, who owned and managed the area’s largest industry, the Albert Manufacturing Company, stepped in to provide the necessary funds and even offered suggestions on the church’s interior design.
Saint Mary’s Anglican Church is also acclaimed for its architectural design. Completed in 1889, the building’s exterior was crafted by J. T. C. McKean from the architectural firm McKean and Fairweather, the same firm responsible for designing the Saint John City Market, which was constructed in 1876.
