PROVINCIAL HERITAGE PLACE
Presbyterians were among the earliest immigrants to come to North America. They were one of the Protestant denominations that ruled colonial life. Members of the early church were mainly Scottish, Irish and English settlers. St. David's Presbyterian Church in Kirkland was part of this early movement. One of the first Presbyterian churches to be built in rural New Brunswick, St. David's was built by the community in the late 1800s and established in 1876. Land for the church and cemetery were donated by two local families, the Kennedys and the Carters, who once lived on each side of the property. The rural cemetery provides a quiet resting place for many of its early members as well as the generations of their families who followed. The community of Kirkland is named after St. David's which was once referred to as ‘The Kirk.' The size of the structure and the elaborate wood interior from floor to ceiling are signs of the prosperity experienced by the community in its early days. The building rests on its original rock foundation. The top of the church still carries its original steeple which can be seen for miles by travellers heading south on Route 540. St. David's is believed to be one of two early Presbyterian Churches still remaining in Carleton County.
