Sounds of Christmas at First United Church - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

UNITED CHURCH

On this site, the first downtown Presbyterian Church was built in 1897. At the time there were barely enough members to form a congregation, so the project was both ambitious and optimistic. Prior to this, two ministers had come on alternate weekends to hold Presbyterian and Methodist services in the school house. The white frame church opened Christmas Day, 1897, and served its congregation until 1945, when it was demolished. Made of Kelowna brick, the building before you is much larger than the original white frame church. Construction began in 1909 and finished in 1910. In 1916 the Presbyterian and Methodist churches in Kelowna amalgamated, anticipating an official declaration of union in the rest of Canada by 10 years. The church then became the First United Church led by the Rev. E. P. Braden. For many years it was a hub of activity, and over the years a hall and classroom were added. The Church still houses a very active congregation. Tudor-style timbers give the outside walls a unique look, and apart from the recent restoration of the brick tower to its original sturdiness, it remains virtually unchanged as an enduring part of Kelowna's faith community.

The first Knox Presbyterian Church was built at this location on land donated by A.B. Knox, a pioneer rancher, in 1896. The church, built by prominent contractor M.J. Curts, opened on Christmas Day 1898. The present building, originally also named Knox Presbyterian, was designed by architect F.W. Peters and constructed with local brick by contractor and first Mayor of Kelowna, H.W. Raymer. The cornerstone was laid in September 1909. The Church Hall was built in 1929 by M.J. Curts and enlarged in 1947. As a result of discussions between members of the local Presbyterian and Methodist congregations, a decision was made to become a Union Church in 1916, one of the first in BC. This was a precursor to the formation of the United Church of Canada in 1925. In 1925, the ladies of the congregation paid for a Casavant Pipe Organ, still in use today. In 2001 the congregation of the First United Church voted in favor of requesting Municipal Heritage designation for the church buildings.

This building holds a prominent location at the intersection of Bernard Avenue and Richter Street, marking the boundary between the commercial and residential sections of Bernard Avenue.

The Gothic Revival features include pointed-arched doors and stained glass windows, buttresses, gables and a crenelated tower. The Tudor Revival designed Church Hall has decorative half-timbering and vertically-oriented windows.