Description of Historic Place

St Mark's Anglican Church is a wooden Victorian style building located at the bottom of a forested hillside on a half-acre lot on the west side of 5th Street in Kaslo, British Columbia. The historic place includes the church, the attached Miller room, and the grounds.

Heritage Value

St. Mark's Anglican Church, built in 1895, is valued for being the second oldest church in the Village of Kaslo. The historic value of St. Mark's lies in its original architecture, dating from just before the turn of the twentieth century. The interior hammer beam trusses and vaulted ceiling, unique in Kaslo, characterize the construction methods of the late nineteenth century. The original stained glass windows are valuable because they demonstrate the craftsmanship and style of windows made in the late nineteenth century. It is notable that two of the eight windows were replaced in 1938 with specially designed pictorial stained glass windows from England. Value also lies in the cedar shake roof and original bevelled wood siding for their representation of architectural detail.

This historic place symbolizes the reverence felt by the early community members for their spiritual and social values, as seen in the volunteer labour and donated building materials used in its construction. It is notable that Mary Buchanan, wife of sawmill owner George Buchanan, donated the lumber for St. Mark's Anglican Church. The original interior features, including the pews, the pulpit, the wainscoting and trim detail, are valued because they were part of the communal construction of this church.

The bell tower, with its functioning bell, and the pump organ are both valuable additions to St. Mark's for their traditional roles in service and worship, and because they evoke a sense of church ceremony and ritual. Also, the labyrinth set in a forested setting behind the church is valued because it provides a place of sanctuary available to the entire community.

St. Mark's represents a vital continuum of worship and sanctuary for the Anglican community because spiritual services have been held here for over a hundred years since its construction. Value also lies in the important role that this historic place plays in the community by hosting spiritual and social services such as Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, a knitting guild, Tai Chi, and other events. As indicated by the plaque that commemorates this event, St. Mark's also holds importance as a place for the remembrance of six miners who died in 1910.

Source: Village of Kaslo

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of St. Mark's Anglican Church include:
-late nineteenth century character of the architectural detailing as seen in such elements as the hammer beam trusses, vaulted ceiling, and cedar shake roof
-historic materials dating to the time of construction, such as the pews, the pulpit, the stained glass windows, and bevelled wood siding
-bell tower with a functioning bell
-pump organ
-labyrinth within a forested setting, with a picnic area and benches
-plaque dedicated to the memory of six miners who perished in a mining accident