St. Joseph's Catholic Church
313 North Chelan Avenue

St. Joseph's Catholic Church
Waterville, Washington

The Town of Waterville, a sunny oasis in North Central Washington State, lies on US Highway 2 about half way between Everett (north of Seattle) and Spokane.   The community is located in wheat country along the Ice Age Floods geological trail.  This small town has a population of 1,138 and 300 days of sunshine.

"Waterville was founded in 1885 and platted in 1886. The town was incorporated under the Territorial Charter in 1889 but after Washington gained statehood the town was officially incorporated on May 12, 1890.

"Since its founding in 1889, Waterville, along with the designation of being the seat of Douglas County, boasts a rich history filled with farming, recreation destinations, and diverse economic trends." (Link 1.)

"Fire wiped out many of the early wood frame commercial structures in Waterville.  The commercial street was moved one block as new buildings sprang up, this time of fire resistive masonry construction...     Today, the one hundred year old Waterville commercial district is listed on the National Register of Historic places..." (Link 2.)

In the center of the downtown area and  just past the 1903 Waterville Historic Hotel,  US Highway 2 turns the corner from East Poplar Street to North Chelan Avenue.  In 1916  St. Joseph's Catholic Church was built on the north east side of this corner. 

This beautiful and distinctive church was built in the Romanesque style by designers Bell and Haskens.  Concrete, brick, and metal were the materials used to build and accent the design.  The color red highlights the entrance doors, the square steeple arches, the outline of the front facade window, and the cross above the front door.  Cream colored brick trims the exterior with icicles hanging from the eaves, cross hatching on the steeple, and surrounding the front facade window.  An "empty cross"  tops the steeple and a "Celtic cross" tops the center of the front peaked roof.

Sanctuary with ceiling beams

Sanctuary with Stations of the Cross plaques

on side walls

In the interior or the church there is the sanctuary with a balcony and down a narrow curved stairway a functional social area basement.  The ceiling of the sanctuary is criss crossed by dark heavy beams.  On the center of the back wall of the the tall arched altar area is a statue of Christ.  Statues of Mary and Joseph flank the arch.  Plaques of the Stations of the Cross line the side walls.

Stations of the Cross Plaque

On the back wall of the narrow balcony is the round window that is seen on the exterior front wall of the church.  In front of the window are the decorative organ screen and organ pipes.

Balcony Organ Screen and Pipes

Painting of the Church

In the church entrance hall hangs a painting of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Waterville, Washington.  It is a portrait featuring the details of the steeple, the side wall  of the church, and its 1916 setting. (See above.)

Thank you: To Reverend Gary Norman, Church Administrator, for information regarding the church.

Photos: Exterior taken in September 2001 by SW.

           Interior taken in June 2012 by SW.

LInk 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterville,_Washington

Link 2: http://www.watervillewashington.org/history.html


Link 4: http://www.watervillewashington.org/

                                                                                                        August 19, 2012

Westminster Congregational United Church of Christ
411 South Washington Street

Southeast corner 4th Avenue and Washington St. 

Westminster Congregational 
United Church of Christ
Spokane, Washington

Following two years of meeting in a home the first church building for First Congregational was built in 1881.  It cost $50.

(Link 1.)

In 1889 " After the Great Fire of Spokane, buildings were in great demand and the church building and land was sold for $29,000. Three lots at Third and Washington were purchased. There was already a small house on this property, which was enlarged to be a parsonage. After a few months this property was also sold, and the current lots at Fourth and Washington were purchased.

(Link 1.) In 1890 " Work was started on the present building by Worthy Niver Architects. The building was supposed to cost $29,245, but the hard times of 1893 almost derailed the project. The building wasn’t completely finished until 1893. At completion, the church was $40,000 in debt. The church had a “vocalion,” a movable instrument between a cottage organ and a pipe organ. It was powered by a man-power pump behind.... East Wall Memorial Window " It was then that First Congregational Church merged with Westminster Presbyterian Church to form Westminster Congregational Church. They had the minister, but we had the building. The building still retains First Congregational carved into the stone above the northwest tower entrance. The Rev. Cushing Eells, early missionary to Spokane Tribe and founder of Whitman College, donated the bell in the East Tower. This bell was the first in Spokane and was used for many years by the City of Spokane as an emergency bell. Balcony Window In 1927 "The Church building is enlarged with a two-story addition along the back... and two square towers put in. The balcony was also installed at this time,... Entrance Hall Window In 1928 " Daniel Dwight donated the “Deagan Tubular Bell Carillon” chimes that are in the West Tower...  Unfortunately, these chimes are still awaiting restoration. From 1907 to 1909  " Interior changes were made to the building. The pulpit was moved to the center on a wide platform with a choir loft behind it. In 1908  "The Social Hall was excavated by wheelbarrow. This gave the church much needed Sunday school room, along with a kitchen. In 1924  "Westminster merges with Corbin Park Congregational, Pilgrim Congregational and Plymouth Congregational. From 1946 to 47 "The chancel is remodeled to a divided chancel. At this time the Joel Harper Memorial Organ is installed. The organ installation was completed in 1951. The stained glass window is covered with a grillwork and a blower system is put behind it to vent to the outside. In 1951 " The organ was built and installed by M.P Moller of Hagerstown, MD. It has 2,016 pipes of varying sizes, the smallest being ¼ inch in diameter by 6 inches, and the largest 14 inches square and 6 feet long. The console has three manuals (keyboards) and pedal board.... (Link 1.) In 1963 " Westminster votes to become part of the newly formed United Church of Christ.  In 1978 "The church is put on the Washington State National Registries of Historical Buildings....  West Wall Window In 2004 "The 125th Aniversary was marked...The stained glass window in the chancel area is uncovered and repaired.  A new cross is made from the grill work that had covered the window for 50 years Sanctuary and Chancel (Note the chancel window and the cross made from  the grill work that covered the chancel window.) In 2006 "The Chancel is renovated to remove the walls and widen the steps... the West Stained Glass Window is completely taken out and restored." (Link 1.)

2012 Church
(Two square towers replaced round tower in 1927.)

The ceiling of the sanctuary is laced with exposed wooden beams. 

Wooden Beams of Sanctuary Ceiling

The east wall stained glass memorial window features an angel caring a child.  (See top stained glass window photo.) The balcony stained glass window features anchors and flowers.  The entrance hall stained glass window features two trees as well as stylized flowers.  The other two windows in the sanctuary feature flowers.  The arch surrounding the chancel features  shields with symbols that include: crossed keys, crossed swords, the goblet, sea shells, and the hatchet.  A peacock can perches on either side. The spiritual meaning of these symbols can be found on Link 2.

Thank you: To Rene Stoick, Ofice Manager for a tour of the church sanctuary.
Photos: Taken in July 2012 by SW.
Link 1:http://www.westminsterucc.org/
Link 2: http://www.fisheaters.com/symbols.html

                                                                                                                                August 12, 2012

Lynn Valley Full Gospel Church
1160 East 29th Street

Lynn Valley Full Gospel Church
North Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Lynn Valley Full Gospel Church actually started in downtown Vancouver.  It was an expansion of the  1955  Home Missions  from the Vancouver Evangelistic Tabernacle there. It began with a Christian woman, Mrs. Shier witnesses  her faith in Christ, house to house.  Next children's meetings were held in  a store front. (Link 1.) The first North Vancouver church building was on a 2626 East 29th Street lot. "It was five years later, December 21st, 1960, that the Church became a separate society and after another five years land was purchased on the present location and a small "temporary" building was erected with the hope of eventually erecting a larger facility in the future." (Link 1.)  Sanctuary (Link 2.) In " the mid "80"s, ... the Evangelistic Tabernacle and the Apostolic Church of Pentecost of Canada came along side of the small congregation to erect a building.... On November 5th, 1982 the Church became an independent society, named "Lynn Valley Full Gospel Church" and soon the land title and deed of the properties were transferred to the Church.  During this time, the Church began to consider a joint project with a group building condominiums next to the church and a group seeking to build a professional centre also next door....construction began in early 1986." (Link 1.) Church from parking lot entrance "Valley Church", which is the name we have become known as, has grown steadily since the late 80's, eventually adding another service on Sunday mornings. The Church is notably multi-racial and inter-generational. In recent years the structure of the Church has been developing to recognize the leadership of the elders and to release as many members of the body into various areas of ministry and leadership. Starting in the fall of 2000, Valley Church leadership decided to move the congregation towards becoming a cell church. This process is still "under construction", but the aim is to see the members of the congregation meet in various dynamic cells throughout the city during the week and then on the weekend meet together as a worshiping congregation to celebrate around the Lord Jesus Christ."(Link 1.) Reflection of cut-out cross in windows above the entrance Today this church with its distinctive cut-out cross at the entrance has a Sunday congregation  the church  attendance of 400 to 450. (Link 2.) Note: The Building Permit Book at the North Vancouver Archives records that the Lynn Valley Evangelical Tabernacle applied for a permit in 1961 the last at 1160 East 29th Street. The value of the church was $7500.

Photos: Taken in 2012 by SW.
Link1: http://www.valleychurch.ca/
Link 2: http://www.theprovince.com/life/Lynn+Valley+Full+Gospel+Church/6722065/story.html

                                                                                                                               August 5, 2012

Jehovah Witnesses Kingdom Hall, 2012
2626 Mountain Highway

Jehovah Witnesses Kingdom Hall
North Vancouver, B.C.

The first Jehovah Witnesses church in North Vancouver was a store front on the south west end of North Vancouver.  It was in one of the units of the Norgate Shopping Center in the 1400 block of Marine Drive.  In 1956 the congregation built a new church across the street at 1550 Phillip Avenue (See photo below and the  blog post 2/27/11)  In 1962 this building was remodeled and became the Tomohawk Restaurant.  

1550 Philip Avenue
2010

Another Jehovah's Witness church was formed in the central Lonsdale area. This congregation bought the Presbyterian Church at 121 East 12th  Street in 1955.  They held services in the building until 1975 when the building was remodeled and became the Black Sheep Restaurant. (See Photo Below and blog post 2/13/11.)

121 East 12th Street
2010

The Building Permit Book at the North Vancouver Archives records the building of the Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall at 2626 Mountain Highway in 1975.  (See top photo.) This stucco building with a brick entrance facade is in the North Vancouver District of Lynn Valley, near the Lynn Valley Shopping Mall. 

Sanctuary, 2012 

2626 Mountain Highway

 The Sanctuary is in the style of a large meeting room with a curved, stepped dias backed in soft draperies.  The single item hanging on the wall is the framed scripture John 17:17.

On Wall in Sanctuary, 2012

The Kingdom Hall at 2626 Mountain Highway is the home of three congregations: Greenwood Park, Lynn Valley, and Mount Seymour.  

On Mountain Highway
2012

"Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenialist restorationist Christian denomination withnontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity.^[2] The organization reports worldwide membership of over 7.65 million adherents involved inevangelism,^[3] convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual Memorialattendance of over 19.3 million.^[4][5] They are directed by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, a group of elders in Brooklyn, New York, that establishes all doctrines.^[6][7][8] Jehovah's Witnesses' beliefs are based on their interpretations of the Bible^[9][10] and they prefer to use their own translation, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.^{[11][12][13][14]} They believe that the destruction of the present world system at Armageddon is imminent, and that the establishment ofGod's kingdom on earth is the only solution for all problems faced by humankind.^[15]

"The group emerged from the Bible Student movement—founded in the late 1870s byCharles Taze Russell with the formation of Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society—with significant organizational and doctrinal changes under the leadership of Joseph Franklin Rutherford.^[16][17] The name Jehovah's witnesses, based on Isaiah 43:10–12,^[18] was adopted in 1931 to distinguish themselves from other Bible Student groups.^[19][20]

"Jehovah's Witnesses are best known for their door-to-door preaching, distributing literature such as The Watchtower and Awake!, and refusing military service andblood transfusions.... They do not observe Christmas, Easter,birthdays, or other holidays and customs they consider to have pagan origins incompatible with Christianity... Jehovah's Witnesses consider secular society to be morally corrupt and under the influence of Satan, and limit their social interaction with non-Witnesses." (Link.)

"Jehovah's Witnesses believe their religion is a restoration of first-century Christianity. ...the new name—Jehovah's witnesses—based on Isaiah 43:10: "Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen" (Link.)

Photos: Taken in 2010 and 2012 by SW.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses