The church's fonds began in 1901, indicating that was the year it was erected. It is a relatively small wood frame building and old photos show that the sanctuary has been enlarged by about 40% at some time in the past. Old photos show three gothic arched windows in the sanctuary, with two more on a rear annex, while today there are five windows in the sanctuary, with the same size annex still on the rear.
As well, a small bell tower with bell has been added over the entry. A photo from the 1970s shows that a blocky, rectangular addition had been made to the front, which was subsequently removed, and the sanctuary extended on the front, toward 13th Avenue. The design of the original entry was copied with the creation of a new one.
This was the first, and to date only, Anglican Church built in Cranbrook. It is within the Anglican Diocese of Kootenay, which was established in 1900 and is headquartered in Kelowna, BC.
Name of creator: Christ Church Parish (Cranbrook, B.C.)
Biographical history
Anglican work began in the area at Fort Steele in 1897, including Cranbrook. In 1901 Cranbrook was separated into a new parish. The parish of Cranbrook's ministry extended to various outstations, including Kimberley which became a separate parish in 1925 and Fort Steele which had become an outstation of Christ Church, Cranbrook by the early 1930's. St. John the Divine, Fort Steele is no longer active.
Scope and content
Sous-fonds consists of parish registers (1901-1964), civil registers (1917-1978), service registers (1921-1955), vestry records (1945-1965), parish council records (1935-1972), correspondence, reports, legal records, financial records, membership lists, women's organizations records, guest book. Includes Baynes Lake; Bull River; Fort Steele, St. John the Divine; Jaffray; Kimberley; Lumberton; Marysville; Wycliffe; Yahk. Parish registers include: baptisms (1901-1964), confirmations (1902-1964), marriages (1901-1917, 1952-1964), burials (1905- 1964), banns (1903-1916).
From Memory BC