Judique’s St. Andrews Church
Mining built Nova Scotia!
Sandstone was quarried from a local beach to build St. Andrews Church in Judique, Inverness County.
Two previous churches, both wooden, burned down due to lightning strikes. Residents decided after the second time, in 1918, that the next church would be made of stone to prevent fires.
In 1924, sandstone was extracted from an outcrop on the shore at McKays Point for the building. It was the only stone ever quarried from that site. Residents hauled the stone over frozen ground on sleds to the church.
The church’s foundation is reportedly made of 500 tons of concrete.
St. Andrews was built in just three years, from 1924-1927, a significant accomplishment for a small community in that era.
