Description of Historic Place

St. Thomas Anglican Church is a Municipal Heritage Property which occupies 1.6 hectares of land located 6.5 kilometres northeast of the Village of McLean in the Rural Municipality of South Qu’Appelle. The property features a one and a half storey fieldstone church, constructed in 1898-1899, to which a chancel and a tower were added in 1903, and a cemetery.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of St. Thomas Anglican Church lies in its association with the religious development of the former community of Vernon and the surrounding area. Constructed in 1898 and 1899, this large church quickly became an important gathering place in the new village. The church’s size, fieldstone exterior and projecting entranceway with crenulated tower show the parishioner’s optimism about the growth of their community. The vibrant stained glass windows dedicated to the community’s pioneers, and the adjoining cemetery where most early community members are buried speak to the property’s connection to the development of the community and its early settlers.

St. Thomas Anglican Church is also valued for its architecture. The architecture style reflects a Gothic Revival influence, evident in the arched windows, the tower and the quoins around the windows. These features, along with the fieldstone exterior and tree-lined grounds make this church more elaborate than most rural churches and help make St. Thomas Anglican Church a local landmark.

Source:

Rural Municipality of South Qu’Appelle No. 157, Bylaw No.3-2006.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the St. Thomas Anglican Church resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements reflecting its association with the religious life of the parish, such as the two crosses on the roof, the sign on the gate, stained glass windows with religious depictions, and the cemetery, including the tombstones and markers;
-those architectural features which speak its status as an architectural landmark in the community, such as the form and fieldstone construction, labels around the windows, arched windows and door, and the building’s orientation on its original tree-lined lot.