Saint Matthew's United Church, Halifax

Saint Matthew’s United Church is a historic Protestant church located in downtown Halifax. Established in 1749, the same year as the original colony, it initially served as a place of worship for various dissenting Protestants from New England who did not align with the Church of England. The congregation originally gathered at Saint Paul’s Church until it secured its building at Hollis and Prince Streets in 1754. However, this structure was lost to a fire in 1857, leading to the construction of the current church on Barrington Street, on land from the Black-Binney House estate, provided by Bishop Hibbert Binney. The church also made use of the Old Burying Ground in Halifax.

From its early days, Saint Matthew’s was a mix of Scottish Presbyterians and Puritan Congregationalists from the American colonies. Over time, Presbyterians became the dominant group, leading to a shift toward Church of Scotland polity in 1787. By the 1830s, the church formally joined the Church of Scotland, later affiliating with the Presbyterian Church in Canada in 1875. However, with the formation of the United Church of Canada in 1925, Saint Matthew’s returned to a more inclusive Protestant tradition, reflecting its original diverse roots.

The church is notable for its historical connections to key figures. George Monro Grant, who served as Minister from 1863 to 1877, later became the Principal of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. His legacy continued through his grandson, the philosopher George Parkin Grant, and his great-grandson, academic and politician Michael Ignatieff. During Grant’s tenure, the influential engineer and inventor Sandford Fleming—known for developing standard time zones—was also an Elder in the congregation.

Today, Saint Matthew’s United Church remains a landmark of Halifax’s religious and cultural heritage, reflecting the city’s deep Protestant traditions and its historical evolution within Canada’s diverse Christian landscape.