Description of Historic Place

St. James Anglican Church is a Municipal Heritage Property situated on a large lot in the Village of Endeavour. The designation applies to a wood-frame church and adjoining hall located on a hill overlooking the community, approximately 28 kilometres north of the Town of Preeceville.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of St. James Anglican Church, also known as the St. James Anglican Mission, lies in its association with the establishment of the Anglican faith in the community of Endeavour. The first recorded church service in the community was in 1930 under the guidance of Rev. William Brown, who served Endeavour as part of his “Fellowship of the West” mission from 1929 to 1930. Reverend Brown worked with Arthur Turner and Art Sims, a planner and a contractor, to gather the resources required to build the church in 1931. The main building was completed that year, with a bell tower added in 1956 and a hall in 1975.

The heritage value of the property also resides in its architecture. The church is a typical example of the Gothic Revival architectural style, common to many churches built during this area. The style’s elements include the bell tower over the main entrance, steep-pitched roof and Mitre-arch windows. The adjoining hall is built in the domestic vernacular style, containing elements such as a gently pitched roof and symmetrical placement of windows and doors.

Source:

Village of Endeavour Bylaw No. 33.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the St. James Anglican Church resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements associated with the establishment of the Anglican faith in Endeavour, such as its existence on its original location overlooking the community;
-those architectural elements typical of the Gothic Revival style, such as the large, steep-pitched roof, bell tower over the main entrance and symmetrical placement of the windows;
-those elements on the hall typical of the domestic vernacular style, such as the symmetrical placement of the windows and doors;
-any interior elements that portray it is a place of worship, such as the pews, altar, religious statues and artifacts that represent the Anglican faith.