"Hyperborean Gothic: Or Wilderness Ecclesiology and the Wood Churches of Edward Medley"

Edward Medley (1838-1910) was the son of Anglican Bishop John Medley of Fredericton who, in the mid-19th century, advanced the design and construction of Christ Church Cathedral and countless Gothic Revival parish churches throughout New Brunswick. With this parentage and influence, Edward apprenticed in England for three years with renowned architect William Butterfield. After his return to New Brunswick, he went on to design a number of exquisite wooden Anglican churches throughout southern New Brunswick. Part Gothic Revival and part Eastlake style, Medley's churches embraced a verticality through their use of exterior board-and-batten cladding, narrow bell towers, and distinctive roof forms, while their interiors expressed a love of stained wood and exposed structure. This meticulous paper cites his influences and contemporaries, and shows his New Brunswick churches in McKeen's Corner, New Maryland, St. Stepehen, Apohaqui, and Chatham.