2/19/12

3201 Mountain Highway
(2012)

Posthumous
Lynn Valley United Church
Lynn Valley, North Vancouver, B.C. Canada


The roots of Lynn Valley United Church are found in three posthumous churches of North Vancouver: Lynnmour United Church, Knox Presbyterian Church, and Lynn Valley Methodist Church.  These church congregations met in four different buildings that were in five different locations.

                                               Lynnmour United Church (REF 3.)


The original church building of Lynnmour United Church was on Marine Drive in the city of Vancouver. It was built in 1915 as River Avenue Methodist Church, changing  to River Avenue United Church in 1926. In 1933  it was dismantled and moved to North Vancouver at St. Denis. which was later became Mountain Highway.  In 1962  the church moved to a  new building at 1103 Mountain Highway.  That building is presently used as a house.  The congregation joined that of  Lynn Valley United Church in 1966.

                                          Knox Presbyterian Church (REF. 1)

Knox Presbyterian Church  was built at the junction of Lynn Valley Road and Centre Rd. in North Vancouver in 1911.  In 1925 it became Lynn Valley United Church.  And in 1959 the congregation built the present  church at 3201 Mountain Highway.

                                          Lynn Valley Methodist Church (REF 2.)


Lynn Valley Methodist Church was built on Institute Road in North Vancouver in 1912.  In 1926 the congregation joined that of Knox United  Church (see above). 
                  

                         Lynn Valley United Church Sanctuary 2011


But even before a church was built on the lot at the corner of Mountain Highway and Harold Road, this was a historic Lynn Valley site. The name "Harold Road" indicates this, since Harold was named for Harold Fromme, the son of  Julius Martin Fromme, "The Father of Lynn Valley".  He originally owned a shingle mill and the lumber storage shed was on this site. Later, his son Harold ran the Harold Fromme Lynn Valley Garage in the lumber shed of the shingle mill.  (REF. 4)  The land for Lynn Valley United Church was donated by Julius Fromme.  (Rhelda Nicholson)

                                        Lumber Storage Shed of Shingle Mill 1925
                                           North Vancouver Archives Photo 6657

                                         Harold Fromme Auto Repair late 1930's
                                          North Vancouver Archives Photo 6662


Now it seems that the church congregation is ready for another move.  This time they are proposing the demolition of the present Lynn Valley United Church and on that site building an L shaped condominium housing complex.  A new smaller  Lynn Valley United Church will be built on the property, on the corner of Lynn Valley Road and Harold Road. The church was demolished in 2015 with building plans in place.


Thank you: To Rhelda Fromme, granddaughter of Julius Martin Fromme.
Photos: Taken in December 2011 and January 2012 by SW.
Link 1: http://lynnvalleychurch.com/
Link 2: http://www.dnv.org/upload/documents/District_History/181818.pdf
Reference 1: Lynn Valley from the Wilds of Nature to Civilization by Walter 
                          Draycott.
Reference 2: District Heritage Inventory 1996
Reference 3: The Province, September 21, 1962.
Reference 4: http://www.demolitionmama.blogspot.com June 18, 2010.