Though Scandinavian Church Services were first held in Nelson in 1897, this church was not built until 1933. Nelson had been home to a growing Scandinavian population since its beginning and it had gained sufficient size by the 1930s to warrant the construction of this church.
Originally known as the Scandinavian Lutheran Mission Church, it later became affiliated with the Mission Covenant Church of America in 1939.
The building was designed by a local Scandinavian architect, Leonard Nelson, in a Spanish Mission architectural style. A relatively small building for a church, it is unique in the neighbourhood in its styling and appearance.
Description
The Scandinavian Church is a small, singular stucco
structure located at the eastern end of Baker Street at the
intersection with Hendryx Street amongst a treed landscape
in downtown Nelson, B.C.
Value
Originally known as the Scandinavian Lutheran Mission Church, the
Scandinavian Church is valued for its unique architectural aesthetic, but more importantly for its cultural and social significance to the city of Nelson.
The church has value for its importance to the Scandinavian population in the city, who first held Scandinavian services in Nelson as early 1897 in a different location. In Sweden the denomination was known as Mission Friends, while in North America it was called the Swedish Evangelical Covenant of America.
The building is significant as the physical result of the Scandinavian population’s desire for a church of their own, and for its development by philanthropic means, as land for the church was purchased in 1930 with funds raised by the local Scandinavian Ladies’ Aid. In 1939, the
church became a member of the Mission Covenant Church of America, with Nelson being the most northern location of the conference. The first service by Pastor Earl E. Lindgren was held in Swedish on September 10, 1933, and the first in English on September 17. In deference to its Nelson location, the church provided English evening services on alternate Sundays.
Designed by local Scandinavian resident Leonard Nelson, the church is valued for its unique Spanish Mission architectural style, including a three part massing showing the joining of individual elements,
pilaster buttresses, wall facing that divides the façade into four sections, stucco decorations and arched windows. An unusual landmark on Baker Street, the building has been adapted to create professional space.
Character Defining Elements
Site
¶ Location at the eastern end of Baker Street, close to a residential area on a treed lot
Form
¶ Horizontal massing, three-part form and delicate scale
¶ Prominent entry tower with raised pediment
¶ Gable roof with front pediment
Materials and Details
¶ Stucco exterior
¶ Arched windows with double panes
¶ Wooden door
¶ Cornerstone of polished Kootenay granite with golden lettering