St. James Church (Kerikeri)
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The St. James Church is an Anglican church in Kerikeri , in the Far North District of the Region Northland of New Zealand . Together with the Stone Store and the Kerikeri Mission House, the church is part of the listed Kerikeri Basin ensemble from the early days of European settlement in New Zealand.
geography
The church is located on Kerikeri Road, 1.5 km northeast of downtown Kerikeri and not far from the confluence of the Kerikeri River and Kerikeri Inlet.
history
In 1819 the Church Missionary Society founded its second mission station in New Zealand under the protection of the Pā (Māori village) on the other side of the Kerikeri River .
A structure erected on the river in 1824 but not preserved is believed to be the first Christian church in New Zealand. A larger building with a footprint of 12.5 × 5.5 m, which offered space for 200-300 standing or 75 seated believers, was built in 1829 from plastered studs under George Clarke (1798-1875) on the site of today's church. Since the founding phase, not only Europeans but also missionary Māori have been buried in the large cemetery that surrounds the church.
In 1830, an early marriage between a Māori and a European took place in the church . Karuhi married the Danish trader Hans Falk (also Phillip Tapsell , 1777? –1873) and the chief of the Ngā Puhi , Hone Heke married Hariata, the daughter of Hongi Hika , there in 1837 .
The present church was built after Kerikeri had lost its importance and became a small trading post. It was part of the rebuilding of numerous Anglican churches in the Northland region at the end of the 19th century. It was built by W. Cook of Waimate to a design by Marsden Clarke (son of George Clarke) for £ 235.
The neo-Gothic church was consecrated in December 1878 by Reverend HP Taua (1837-1887) and the Archdeacon of Waimate , Edward Clarke (1831-1900, also son of George Clarke) with a service on Māori . It consisted of a nave with a small choir and a porch on the north side. In 1910 the shingle roof was replaced by one made of sheet metal and in 1963 the nave, sacristy and vestibule were enlarged. In 1969 the choir was also expanded. The church is still in use today.
On June 27, 1985, the structure was registered under registration number 68 by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category 1 Monument.
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 35 ° 13 ′ 5.6 ″ S , 173 ° 57 ′ 41.4 ″ E