November 18, 2012

100 block East Keith Road

Posthumous
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church-1904
North Vancouver, B.C. Canada

In 1891 the District of North Vancouver, B.C. was incorporated as a municipality and included the area that in 1907 became the City of North Vancouver. (REF 5.)  The District of North Vancouver developed along the  Burrard Inlet directly north across from downtown Vancouver.  Lonsdale Avenue  grew as its main corridor.   

"The first church, St. John's Anglican, was opened on October 28, 1900." (REF 2.) (See Blog Post  September 9, 2012.)  This church was west of Lonsdale Avenue on West 13th Street.

In 1902 Pete Larson opened his Hotel North Vancouver just west of the foot of Lonsdale Avenue  near the waterfront.  "...St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church was organized in it." (REF 2.)  There are also references to St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church meeting in Dorman's Shack in 1903. (REF 6.)

1910 Fire Insurance Map

 "St. Andrew's Presbyterian was completed in November 1904." (REF 2.)  The church was built on the front of lot 11 on Keith Road on the south side of Victoria Park in the first block east of Lonsdale Avenue.  Victoria Park  is a wide boulevard extending a block west and a block east of Lonsdale Avenue.  From south to north is runs from between Sixth Street to Eighth Street. The land for the park was donated by the North Vancouver Land and Improvement Company jointly with A. St. G. Hammersley.  Rev. J. D. Gilliam, the PResbyterian minister helped clear the land for the park. (REF 2.)

The 1910 Fire Insurance Map describes the church as being T shaped, and  22 ' to the eaves and 88' to the ridge.  The height to the ridge was probably only 38' as indicated in the 1930 Fire Insurance Map (below).  The "8" was possibly due to a copy error. (SW.)

1930 Fire Insurance Map

In 1912 St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church built a church on the north east corner of East 10th Street and St. George's Avenue.  In 1925 the Congregational, Methodist, and those Presbyterian's that wished to, joined to form the United Church of Canada.  St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church became St. Andrew's United Church. Presbyterian congregation members that didn't wish to join the United Church moved to the Oddfellow's Hall-IOOF Hall-of the  former St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in the 100 block of Lower East Keith Road.  In 1934 they built a new St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church at 121 East 12th Street. 

On the 1930 Fire Insurance Map (above) the church is on the same lot 11, but it is somewhat L shaped, possibly due to a front to back addition on the west side. (SW.)  Measurement to the eaves is again 22' and to the ridge 38'.  The Map also labels the building as being now not only St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, but also the IOOF Hall.

Three years after the 1930 Fire Insurance Map was issued, a new St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church was given a permit for building at 121 East 12th Street.  This building became a Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall in 1955 and the Black Sheep Restaurant in 1976.  The building was demolished in  2000 and an apartment building was built on the site. (See Blog Post February 13, 2011.)

In 1952 the congregation joined St. Stephen's Presbyterian Church and moved to their church at 2641 Chesterfield Avenue to form St. Andrew's and St. Stephen's Presbyterian Church. (See Blog Post 3/3/13.)

Photo: From St. Andrew's United Church 1925-1975, in the files of the
               North Vancouver Archives, #2545-1916
Reference 1: Woodward-Reynolds, Kathleen Marjorie, A History of the City and
               District of North Vancouver, page 154.
Reference 2: Wm. Stott, The Early Story of North Vancouver, from "Museum 
               and Art" notes, 2nd series, vol.1; 2 March 1950.
Reference 3: 1910 Fire Insurance Map of North Vancouver, North Vancouver
               Archives.
Reference 4: 1930 Fire Insurance Map of North Vancouver, North Vancouver
               Archives.
Reference 5: City of North Vancouver Heritage Inventory 1994, page 5.
Reference 6: History of St. Andrew's and St. Stephen's Presbyterian Church, 

                 pages 1-15 out of 23, given to SW January 2013 by Angela Edmonds.

Note: Blog Post on the 1933 St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church at 121 East 12th 
               Street at Churches On Sundays, February 13, 2011.

Prayer

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