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 Nelson United Church - Nelson, BC Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 49° 29.458 W 117° 17.455
11U E 478931 N 5482077
The United Church at 602 Silica Street in Nelson is actually the fourth incarnation of itself.
Waymark Code: WMN6HW
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 01/04/2015
Views: 3
The first church built on this site was a Methodist Church, a wooden church built in 1895. In 1909 the present church was completed, the foundation having been laid in 1908, replacing the older, wooden one. It was built as the Trinity Methodist Church and dedicated on March 7, 1909.
Fire almost destroyed the stone church in 1915, but it was rebuilt shortly after. In 1927 the building became the Trinity United Church after Church Union. 1967 saw another fire in the church. Again rebuilt, it then became Nelson United Church when the Fairview congregation joined it.
Here is a very good article on this church's history.
The Nelson United Church occupies Number 27 on the City of Nelson's 2011 Heritage Register.
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Nelson United Church
Description
The Nelson United Church is a large stone structure with a gable roof and prominent tower and spire located on Silica Street in the Uphill neighbourhood of Nelson, B.C.
Value
A presence in this location since a first wooden church was constructed in 1895, the Nelson United Church is important for its historical, spiritual and aesthetic values.
Constructed in 1909 as the Trinity Methodist Church to replace an 1895 wooden church on the same site, the Nelson United Church has historical value as a symbol of the arrival of the Methodist church in Nelson in 1891 with the appointment of Rev. R.J. Irwin.
Rebuilt after being razed by a fire in 1915, the congregation was renamed Trinity United Church after the union of the Methodists with some Presbyterians and other congregationalists in 1927. Razed once again by another fire in 1967, the church is a testament to the tenacity of the congregation and the importance of the church in community life, becoming Nelson United Church when the Fairview United Church was sold and the congregations united.
The Nelson United Church building is important for its original design by Thomas Hooper of Hooper and Watkins Architects in Vancouver. The building is a unique mix of design elements including the square tower with spire, contemporary gothic window, and arched windows. Its stone masonry construction is significant for the use of local materials including granite from Beasley quarry and Kootenay marble from Marblehead in the Lardeau area of the Kootenays. Kootenay cedar was used as paneling throughout the building.
Redesigns of the building in 1909 and 1915 were undertaken by Alexander Carrie, a prominent local architect responsible for the design of a number of churches in Nelson including the Congregational Church, the Presbyterian Church and the Lutheran Church. After the 1967 fire, a third renovation was undertaken by architect David Fairbanks-Sawyer.
Located with many other churches in the lower reaches of the well-appointed residential streets of the Uphill neighbourhood, Nelson United Church is a valuable contributor to the physical transition between the large commercial buildings of the commercial core and the houses of its white-collar workers, both because of its substantial size and institutional character.
The church is important for its social capacity in serving the community through the inclusion of meeting rooms, banquet room, library, massive custom made pipe organ, and auditorium.
Character Defining Elements
Site
¶ Prominent corner site in the Uphill neighbourhood
¶ Original church bell and mount
Form
¶ Rectangular massing with a focus of the building elements to the tower on
the corner
¶ Masonry construction
¶ Granite foundation
¶ Prominent corner tower with spire
¶ Arched and pointed windows
¶ Entry beneath the tower
Interior
¶ Wooden pews, Tam Shields Memorial stained glass window and organ
From the Nelson Heritage Register
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Location of the Steeple:
602 Silica Street
Nelson, BC Canada
V1L 4N1
Approximate Date of Construction: 1969
Website: [Web Link]
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