Description of Historic Place

St. John’s Anglican Church is a Municipal Heritage Property located within the City of Moose Jaw at 124 1st Avenue Northeast. The property features a brick, one-storey, Gothic Revival church constructed in 1909-1910.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of St. John’s Anglican Church lies in the property’s use as a place of worship. The present building is the third Anglican church to be constructed on the property, the first having been erected in 1888. Continuing the tradition of its predecessors, St. John’s has been the focal point of Anglican worship in Moose Jaw.

The heritage value of the property also lies in its service to the community. The bells of the church were used as the community’s fire alarm and emergency signal early in the twentieth century. The church also houses a memorial to the soldiers of the locally-formed 46th Canadian Battalion, displaying two white oak Vimy Crosses which commemorate the sacrifices made by the battalion during the 1917 Battle of Vimy Ridge.

The heritage value of the property also lies in its Gothic Revival architecture. Designed by Regina architect F. Clapman Clemesha, the Gothic Revival style can be observed in the numerous lancet windows, buttresses, stone copings and the pointed-arch aisle vaulting in the nave. Also contributing to the Gothic Revival architecture is the church’s seventy-foot, crenellation-topped tower, which contains a carillon of nine bells, nine lancet windows and four corner pilasters.

The heritage value of the property also lies in the historical integrity and quality of its interior elements The stained glass in all interior windows, intricately carved woodwork in the sanctuary, organ and oak barrel-vaulted ceiling all speak to the prestigious nature of the property. The aisle vaults that line the nave draw visitors towards the sanctuary and its large carved altar with an artists rendering of the Last Supper. The sanctuary is enhanced by the blue and gold ceiling panels which depict heaven. The craftsmanship of these historical materials make the interior one of the most impressive church interiors in the community.

Source:

City of Moose Jaw Bylaw No. 4859.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the St. John’s Anglican Church resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements that reflect the Gothic Revival architecture, such as lancet windows, buttresses, stone copings, massing and pointed-arch aisle-vaulting in the nave;
-the signage, religious symbols and the Vimy Crosses;
-the position of the church on its original location;
-the bell tower, including pointed-arch windows, the carillon, corner pilasters and crenellation;
-those elements that reflect the historical integrity of the interior, including the stained glass windows, organ, intricately carved woodwork in the sanctuary and oak barrel-vaulted ceiling;
-brick façade.