Description of Historic Place

The Sidney United Church and Manse, completed in 1891 and 1898 respectively, occupy a large lot in a quiet residential area in the village of Sidney. The church, converted to a dwelling, is of solid brick construction. A matching brick veneer covers the wood-frame manse. The municipal designation applies to the buildings and their lot.

Heritage Value

Sidney United Church, originally a Methodist facility, is a rare Manitoba example of a small-town church built of brick during the settlement era. Transportation was expensive and resources were scarce, but Sidney had a determined congregation that included Dougal McVicar, owner of a newly established brickyard, who was able to donate that component. A congregation numbering only five families erected this sturdy tribute to their confidence in the community's future. In keeping with Methodist heritage, the church displays only a few restrained stylistic flourishes, such as decorative bargeboards and a modest tower. The small manse, its unassuming form enhanced with brick cladding and gingerbread trim, complements the church and completes the site.

Source: Rural Municipality of North Norfolk By-law No. 697/02, March 11, 2002

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Sidney United Church and Manse site include:
- its location on a quiet residential street and the placement of the buildings, with the church prominent on the southwest corner of the large lot, overlooking a green space and ravine, and the manse to the north, set back from the street in the shade of mature trees

Key elements that define the church's restrained exterior design and unpretentious interior features include:
- the simple rectangular massing under a moderately steep forward-facing gable roof, with an angled tower set into the southwest corner
- the facades of red brick contrasted by painted wood details such as window sills, intricately scrolled bargeboards and a pendant
- the round-arched openings with brick voussoirs, including a double-door main entrance with a large fanlight and the symmetrically placed tower and nave windows
- features such as the round openings in the peaks of both gable ends, the brick chimney, etc.
- the interior's truncated nave ceiling finished with tongue-and-groove boards in a herringbone pattern
- the straightforward materials, finishes and details, such as the painted wood wainscotting, flooring and trim, the stained wood and metal hardware on the inside of the main entrance doors, etc.

Key exterior and interior elements that define the heritage character of the manse include:
- its 1 1/2 -storey massing, rectangular in shape under a forward-facing gable roof, with a kitchen extension under a shed roof at the rear (east)
- the brick veneer that matches the colour of the church's facades
- the ample fenestration, with an orderly arrangement of tall rectangular sash windows set in wooden surrounds under segmental brick arches, including paired openings on the front and north elevations and a staircase window on the south
- the elaborate scrolled bargeboards and pendant on the front gable
- the traditional interior side-hall plan, small in scale with modest rooms
- the basic materials, finishes and features, such as the wood doors and trim, including wide baseboards with extended trim at the corners, the wooden staircase with a modest balustrade, a metal vent in the dining room ceiling, etc.