Now a Heritage Building, this one time Presbyterian Church has seen continuous use, as of 2015, for 117 years. At the age of 87 it underwent major renovations.
This building was constructed in 1898 as a Presbyterian Church under the direction of Rev. Gandier. In 1917, factions of the Methodist and Presbyterian churches merged to form the Union Church. Since Church Union in Canada in 1925, the church has been a pastoral charge of the United Church of Canada. The bell for the "new" United Church came from the Methodist church. This was the second Presbyterian church building to be erected in Rossland, the first having been built in 1895.
The first Presbyterian service in Rossland was held by Rev. Robertson in a store on Sourdough Alley using planks laid on kegs for seats.
This building is registered in the Rossland Heritage Register.
A bit of history, from
Memory BC:
St. Andrew's United Church was founded in 1895 with the purpose of bringing the Presbyterian faith to the small mining town of Rossland, British Columbia. The first religious services were held on the last Sunday in May 1895, in a partially constructed butcher's shop. The first church was erected in Nickel Plate Flat and opening services were conducted on August 28, 1895.
Although originally a Presbyterian church, St. Andrew's would, in 1917, vote to unite with the Rossland Methodist Church (founded 1897). The name and church of St. Andrew's were retained for the new church, however, Methodist ministers continued to lead "union" services from 1918-1925. After this time the church was referred to exclusively as St. Andrew's United Church and United Church services and ministers were used. By the late 1960s, there was a spirit of growing cooperation with the local Anglican congregation, St. George's. Negotiations with St. George's Anglican Church regarding the sharing of services and buildings through a lease ended with a five year lease being approved by both congregations in 1969. Shared services were held between St. George's and St. Andrew's until 1982, when St. George's terminated the arrangement. Major renovations to the church building were completed by 1985. The church continued to grow into the 1980s, recording a membership growth and budget surplus by 1987.