All Saints Church, Taiping
Encyclopedia
All Saints Church in Taiping is the Federated Malay States' first Anglican church, founded in 1886 (consecrated
in 1887). Located on Taming Sari main road, the church sits in the outskirts of Taiping.
The church features a timber facade and gothic architectural design, with a small adjacent cemetery. Its cemetery is laden with beautifully crafted tombstones of European settlers and young servicemen who did not make it home.
It is considered one of Malaysia's precious heritage sites.
Designed by Australian architect D. Lefroy and built on a site donated by W.V. Drummond, a planter from Shanghai, the wooden church structure is made of meranti panels with hardwood frames, and a louvered tower with four tubular bells.
All Saints Church remains largely unchanged from the early days of its existence. Perhaps the most striking feature of the church is the stained glass
window installed in 1911, which survived World War II intact.
All Saints is among only a handful of churches in Malaysia that still use the pipe organ
. It is only used on special occasions and the servicing alone costs about RM10,000 annually.
. The new roof is a replica of the original structure.
A new multi-purpose hall was scheduled to be completed in 2008, with toilet facilities, administrative office, choir rooms, library, vicarage quarters and main hall that can accommodate about 350 people.
The church is currently in the midst of setting up a network to locate relatives of those buried at the All Saints cemetery.
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
in 1887). Located on Taming Sari main road, the church sits in the outskirts of Taiping.
The church features a timber facade and gothic architectural design, with a small adjacent cemetery. Its cemetery is laden with beautifully crafted tombstones of European settlers and young servicemen who did not make it home.
It is considered one of Malaysia's precious heritage sites.
History
The history of the church can be traced from 1883 when Col. R.S.F. Walker presided over a meeting to arrange for funds to be collected to pay for the stipend of a clergyman.Designed by Australian architect D. Lefroy and built on a site donated by W.V. Drummond, a planter from Shanghai, the wooden church structure is made of meranti panels with hardwood frames, and a louvered tower with four tubular bells.
All Saints Church remains largely unchanged from the early days of its existence. Perhaps the most striking feature of the church is the stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
window installed in 1911, which survived World War II intact.
All Saints is among only a handful of churches in Malaysia that still use the pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
. It is only used on special occasions and the servicing alone costs about RM10,000 annually.
Developments
Over the years, the church has undergone some repair work with the most recent restoration effort including the replacement of its leaky roof with Berlian Shingle wood from SarawakSarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
. The new roof is a replica of the original structure.
A new multi-purpose hall was scheduled to be completed in 2008, with toilet facilities, administrative office, choir rooms, library, vicarage quarters and main hall that can accommodate about 350 people.
The church is currently in the midst of setting up a network to locate relatives of those buried at the All Saints cemetery.