Description of Historic Place

St. George's Anglican Church site consists of a one storey wood-frame church building (1901) with pointed windows and a steep gabled roof topped at the front with a small bell tower. An additional one- storey rectangular hall, also with a steep gabled roof, was added in 2004. The site is located on a quiet residential street in Fort Langley adjacent to the Hudson's Bay Company historic cemetery (established circa 1840).

Heritage Value

St. George's Anglican Church is of historic, aesthetic and spiritual significance. In particular, the age, location and design of the church, as well as its interior details, are noteworthy. St. George's is also important as it represents the early Anglican Church presence in British Columbia and has made long-lasting spiritual contributions to the community.

The congregation actually formed in 1859 at an Anglican church in nearby Derby. Plans for a more central church within the Fort Langley boundary began in 1895 and the building was constructed in 1901. The site chosen for the church is significant because it is located in the southwest corner of the 1839 Hudson's Bay Company Fort and includes the early Hudson's Bay Company cemetery. This cemetery is the second oldest known European burial ground in Langley Township.

Historically known people associated with this church include Reverend Henry W.L. Laffere, who was the Vicar when the church was built, Alexander Mavis, who sold the property and the cemetery to the Anglican Church for $50.00, and Duncan Bule, who built the church. St. George's is also the family church of the Hope family, to whom a number of the stained glass windows are dedicated.

St. George's Anglican Church is aesthetically notable for its general design, as well as interior and exterior details. The Carpenter Gothic construction includes simple lines, a steep gabled roof, tall, pointed windows, and a small bell tower, which was added in 1914. Unique to this church are the gable screens as well as the carved and drilled rafter ends. Despite alterations over time (including a modest lengthening of the building in 2004), this church has maintained an image of serenity. Significant architectural details on the interior include the tongue-and-groove 'v' joint fir configured in a herringbone pattern on the walls, the wooden floor, and the 1909 altar rails. The church still has its original wooden pews.

The stained glass windows are considered by many to be the finest collection in the Fraser Valley. They are all memorial windows (nine in number), added to the church from 1912 to 2006.

The 'Kanaka Cross', which is located on an exterior wall above the front door, is a central physical symbol associated with St. George's Anglican Church. It is a large, engraved iron cross that was found in the adjacent cemetery in 1930. This cross was originally made to mark the gravesite of Hawaiians Pion Pion and Katrina, who were contracted by the Hudson's Bay Company and brought to work in Fort Langley in the 19th century. When their actual grave site could not be found, the Anglican community of Fort Langley decided to honour them by hanging the cross on the church in a prominent location.

Source: Langley Centennial Museum heritage files

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of St. George's Anglican Church include:

Architectural qualities, such as:
- Its Carpenter Gothic Style,
- Simple lines,
- Steep gabled roof,
- The small bell tower at the front of the building.

Architectural elements, such as:
- Tall pointed windows,
- Gable screens,
- Drilled rafter ends,
- Wood shingles

Interior architectural elements, such as:
- Tongue-and-groove 'v' joint fir in herringbone pattern on the interior walls,
- The wooden floor,
- The wooden pews,
- The altar rails.

Siting:
- Its relationship to the site and to the intersection of Church Street and Mary Street
- Its relationship to the adjacent Hudson's Bay Company historic cemetery.

Cultural:
- Continued use of site as a place of worship