St James' Anglican Church, Morpeth
St James' Anglican Church is a heritage-listed Anglican church precinct at 19 Tank Street, Morpeth, City of Maitland, New South Wales, Australia. The original design has been attributed to Edward Charles Close, with later additions by Edmund Blacket and John Horbury Hunt and built from 1837 to 1875 by E.C. Close and James Sherwood. The precinct also includes the St. James' rectory and parish hall (formerly schoolhouse). The property is vested in the Trustees of Church Property for the Diocese of Newcastle.It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 27 January 2017.
St James' Anglican Church, Morpeth
In 1874 a fire caused major damage to the roof, which retained its timber shingles, and appears to have called into question the suitability of the walls of the nave. John Horbury Hunt, who had collaborated with Blacket and therefore understood his work, was engaged to oversee the repairs. Hunt not only reconstructed the roof and replaced the timber shingles in slate, but also removed the internal brick lining of the Nave and raised the walls by two courses of sandstone. The increased height of the walls was supported by the modification of the buttresses. A new hammerbeam truss roof, remarkable in design and execution, was constructed. The rustic fence protecting both the church and the rectory was replaced with a picket fence, probably of Hunt's design. This was removed in the 1960s, and has not been replaced.