September 2, 2012

Dorman's Shack
East 13th Street at Lonsdale Avenue

September-Celebrating St. John's
Posthumous
Dorman's Shack
North Vancouver, B.C., Canada

New churches often begin in the homes of their parishioners.  This was true of St. John's Anglican Church in 1890 in North Vancouver, B.C.  However, when the congregation outgrew the living rooms of these homes they then moved to an existing building.  In North Vancouver, B.C. this building was called "Dorman's Shack".

A  reference to a building on the corner of East 13th Street and Lonsdale Avenue can be found in the 1885 City Directory at the North Vancouver Archives.  It is described as a "shack on 13th...15 feet square...with a capacity of 25 people."  It was referred to as Dorman's Shack.  Frank Dorman was a brick manufacturer and had a brickyard at Roche Point in North Vancouver.    Even as late as 1910 the Fire Insurance Map shows a "shack" on 13th St. at Lonsdale. (See map above with Dorman's Shack in red.)

It seems that the Anglican Church organized services here in 1890's. (The History of North Vancouver British Columbia Canada, page 10.)  In 1900 they built a frame building on West 13th Street and dedicated it to St. John the Evangelist. (See Blog Post 9//9/12) 

In 1903 the Presbyterian Church also held its first service in Dorman's Shack. (St. Andrews United Church Sunday Bulletin, Feb., 26th 1978. See Blog Post 1/9/11.) In 1904 they built St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church on 100 block of East Lower Keith Road. And in 1912 they built St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church on the corner of East 10th and St. George's Avenue.  in 1925 this church became St. Andrew's United Church of Canada.  Those Presbyterian's that didn't want to join the United Church moved to the Oddfellows Hall in the old 6th Street Methodist Church on the south-west corner of East 6th Street and St. George's Avenue.  Then in 1934 they built another church at 121 East 12th Street.  In 1952 they joined the St. Stephen's Presbyterian Church congregation to  form the St. Andrew's and St. Stephen's Presbyterian church on West 27th and Chesterfield Avenue. (See  Blog Post 3/3/13.)

Thank you: To congregation members Jim Lawrence, Donna Lawrence, Alison

                         Brookfield, and Linda Harrison for review of this Blog Post.
Photo: Taken of 1910 Fire Insurance Map at the North Vancouver Archives

               by SW.
Reference: Faithful People of God, the first century of the Parish of St. John's 
               North Vancouver, by Beth Lawrence.

Note: Entire history of St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, see Blog Posts:

            1890's Dorman's Shack, 9/2/12.
            1900 Church (1978 Anne MacDonald Hall), 9/9/12.

            1909 Church and 1985 Fire, 9/9/12.

            1948 Memorial Hall (Church, 1985 to 1987), 9/23/12.

            1987 Church, 9/30/12.

Prayer

God, be with the persecuted Christians through out the world. Amen