Quite small in size, the little log church seats 40 to 50 persons, probably not more. The
Ashcroft Indian Band has about 270 members, living both on and off reserve. Built of shaved logs with dovetailed corners, the Gothic Revival church has a small wood framed bell tower over the entry door. Inside hangs a single bell, its origin probably lost in the mists of time.
While the door is a simple wood rectangle, the two windows on each side of the nave and the belfry openings have Gothic arches. Inside are the original wood pews, five on each side of the centre aisle. Just inside the door is a small wood stove to supply heat in the colder months. The floor is of plain tongue and groove planks.
The Church of St. John at the Latin Gate was built in the late 1860s or early 1870s for transplanted Englishmen Henry and Clement Cornwall at what is now
Ashcroft Manor and moved to its present location on the Reserve in 1920 after being given to the Band.
St. Alban's [Anglican] Church opened in 1891. Ashcroft was established as a separate parish by 1892, having previously been a part of the Kamloops Missionary District. Initially the parish included Nicola, Clinton and Revelstoke in its ministry...
...During the 1970s St. Alban's, Ashcroft also became responsible for the new congregation at Logan Lake and for
St. John at the Latin Gate Church.
From Memory BC
In 2018 the church was restored by the Band, the newly restored church unveiled at the 2018 Aboriginal Day Celebration.
The nearby Church of St. John at the Latin Gate, built more than 130 years ago and given to the Band by the Cornwall brothers, has been undergoing renovations that are almost complete; all that is left is the application of a fresh coat of paint on the upper part of the church’s exterior. A new wooden fence has been constructed around the church, with a lychgate giving access to a path to the door, and turf laid around the building. The simple interior, which contains the original pews, is largely unchanged.
From the Ashcroft Cache Creek Journal - May. 29, 2018
Tim Hortons was on hand with lemonade, iced coffee, and doughnuts; there was barbecue, bannock, and cake; Urban Systems was present with plans for the Elders’ residence, campground, and more; the new baseball fields and walking trail were on view; and visitors were able to visit the newly-restored Church of St. John at the Latin Gate, built in the late 1860s or early 1870s for Henry and Clement Cornwall at what is now Ashcroft Manor and moved to its present location on the Reserve in 1920.
From the Ashcroft Cache Creek Journal - Jun. 26, 2018