Key Number:	HS 6756
Site Name:	St. John the Evangelist Church / St. John's Anglican Church
Other Names:
Site Type:	1603 - Religious: Church, Cathedral or Chapel

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			23	1	5

Address:	1423 - 8 Avenue SE
Number:	23
Street:	14 SE
Avenue:	8 SE
Other:
Town:	Calgary
Near Town:

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:
Plan Shape:	Cruciform with Apse
Storeys:	Storeys: 1 1/2
Foundation:
Superstructure:
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:	Medium Gable
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:	Massing of Units: Single Detached Wings: Rear and Either Side Number of Bays - Facade: First or Ground Floor, 9 Bays or more Wall Design and Detail: Buttress Wall Design and Detail: Plinth Wall Design and Detail: Gabled Parapet Roof Trim - Eaves: Projecting Eaves Roof Trim - Eaves: Plain Fascia Roof Trim - Eaves: Plain Soffit Roof Trim Material - Eaves: Wood Roof Trim - Verges: Flush Verges Roof Trim Material - Verges: Stone Roof Trim Material - Verges: Concrete Towers, Steeples and Domes: Other Towers, Steeples and Domes Location-Side to Side: Offset Right Towers, Steeples and Domes Location-Front to Rear: Centre Dormer Type: None Chimney Location - Side to Side: Offset Left Chimney Location - Front to Rear: Front Chimney Stack Material: Brick Chimney Stack Massing: Single Roof Trim - Special Features: Cupola or Lantern Roof Trim - Special Features: Finial Window - Structural Opening Shape: Pointed Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Head: Voussoirs Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Head: Other Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Sides: Plain Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Material: Stone Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Material: Brick Window - Sill Type: Plain Lug Sill Window - Sill Type: Continuous Sill Window - Sill Material: Stone Window - Sill Material: Concrete Window - Trim Within Structural Opening - Sides: Moulded Window - Number of Sashes: Two, Casement Window - Opening Mechanism: Fixed Window - Special Types: Pointed Window - Special Types: Stained Glass Main Entrance - Location: Off-Centre (Facade) Main Entrance - Location: 2 or More (Facade) Main Entrance - Structural Opening Shape: Pointed Main Entrance - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Head: Voussoir Main Entrance - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Head: Other Main Entrance - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Sides: Plain Main Entrance - Trim Outside Structural Opening Material: Stone Main Entrance - Trim Outside Structural Opening Material: Brick Main Entrance - Trim Within Structural Opening - Head: Plain Main Entrance - Trim Within Structural Opening - Sides: Plain Main Entrance - Number of Leaves: 1 Main Entrance - Number of Leaves: 2 Main Entrance - Number of Panels Per Leaf: Not Applicable Main Entrance - Leaves - Special Feature: Vertical Board Main Stairs - Location and Design: First or Ground Floor, Open Railing Main Stairs - Direction: Straight Main Porch - Type: None Main Porch - Special Features: None Main Porch - Material: None Main Porch - Material: Metal Main Porch - Height: None
Exterior:	Corner stone on parapets; another brick chimney at the left rear position. Full concrete foundation, gable roof with pleasing contrast, defining a vista, wood shingles. * * * St. John the Evangelist is a good example of a style of Anglican church which is common in Alberta, but seldom executed on this intimate scale in brick. The design is ultimately derived from the simple English parish church of the mid-nineteenth century, which followed the Gothic Revival style. St. John's is a one and one-half storey frame structure sheathed in red stretcher-bond brick. Cruciform in plan, the church is sited following religious convention with the entrance porches (fulfilling the function of a narthex) at the west end of the structure, the nave having an east-west orientation, and the altar at the east end in the apse. The transept projects symmetrically at the front of the nave. The nave, transept and entrance porches have steeply-pitched gable roofs while over the five-sided apse is a bi-partite hip roof. The roof is edged by a stone parapet topped by a finial at each gable. Underneath each gable edge is a stone corbel topping two smoothly sloping angle buttresses, which are a detail seldom seen in Western Canada. Above the entance, in pace of the traditional tower is a modest wooden bell-cote with a flared pyramidal roof supported by exposed beams and carved wood-work in trefoil shapes. The apertures all have pointed arches, the windows of the narrow lancet type, both single and joined. All apertures have stone lintels and sills and each gable is decorated by double courses of stone, between which are three narrow vertical slits.
Interior:	Interior is plaster with skylight. Fir floors and trim walls, of plaster.
Environment:	Property Features: None
Condition:	Poor (1979)
Alterations:	Apparent Alterations and/or Additions: None Site: Original A concrete addition was made in 1957 with office and meeting rooms.

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Construction Started Construction Ended	1910/01/01 1911/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
Religious: Church, Cathedral or Chapel Religious: Church, Cathedral or Chapel Anglican Church	1910/01/01 1972/11/08 1977/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
N/A

Architect:	George Lang
Builder:	N/A
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	James Walker - 'Citizen of the Century' Former Colonel of the N.W.H.P. owned this land at one time. George Lang was an early resident of Calgary. William Major came to Calgary in 1910 from Bristol, England. Originally called 'St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church'. Historical Significance: The Calgary Parish of St. John the Evangelist was founded in 1901 to act as a mission for the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer, also in Calgary. In 1905, it gained Parish status and the first St. John's, a frame structure, was built. St. John the Evangelist acquired the present site in 1910 with the profits made from the sale of their old church site, adjacent to where the Church now stands. St. John the Evangelist was built in 1911. By 1911, the Parish was large enough to warrant a more substantial building and the present Church was constructed. Cited on October 2, 1911, by the Calgary Daily Herald as a 'Handsome New Calgary Church,' St. John the Evangelist continues to serve as an important Church and landmark in the Inglewood neighbourhood of Calgary. Architectural Significance: St. John the Evangelist is a good example of a style of Anglican Church which is common in Alberta, but seldom executed on this intimate a scale in brick. The design is ultimately derived from the simple English parish church of the mid-nineteenth century, which followed the Gothic Revival style. St. John's is a one and one-half storey frame structure sheathed in red stretcher-bond brick. Cruciform in plan, the church is sited following religious convention with the entrance porches (fulfilling the function of a narthex) at the west end of the structure, the nave having an east-west orientation, and the altar at the east end in the apse. The transept projects symmetrically at the front of the nave. The nave, transept and entrance porches have steeply-pitched gable roofs while over the five sided apse is a bi-partite hip roof. The roof is edged by a stone parapet topped by a finial at each gable. Underneath each gable edge is a stone corbel topping two smoothly sloping angle buttresses, which are a detail seldom seen in Western Canada. Above the entrance, in place of the traditional tower is a modest wooden bell-cote with a flared pyramidal roof supported by exposed beams and carved woodwork in trefoil shapes. The apertures all have pointed arches, the windows of the narrow lancet type, both single and joined. All apertures have stone lintels and sills and each gable is decorated by double courses of stone, between which are three narrow vertical slits. The interior is of plain white plaster, with a flattened gable roof which does not correspond to the steep pitch of the exterior gable. The windows are stained glass. * * * Historical / Architectural Data: St. John's Anglican is a one and a half storey frame and brick veneer church constructed in 1911. It is the second oldest Anglican Church in Calgary (the oldest, the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer, has already been designated) and the only Anglican Church in the city to take a 'high church' approach to religion. The church features stained glass windows, the first church bell cast in Western Canada and a three manual Casavant pheumatic pipe organ, which is the oldest and finest in Calgary. Architecturally, St. John's is typical of urban Anglican church design, numerous example of which are known to exist through Western Canada, although the number of similarly designed churches in Alberta is not known at this time. It is built in the Late Victoria Gothic Revival style, and has retained its original appearance. St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church was built in 1910 on land originally owned by James Walker. This church was designed by Lang and Major, architects civil engineers. George Lang was an early resident of Calgary, while William Major came to Calgary in 1910 from Bristol, England. * * * GERVAISE EDWARD GALE Gervaise Edward Gale was educated for the ministry at St. John's College, Winnipeg, ordained deacon in 1901 by the Archbishop of Rupert's Land for work in the Diocese of Calgary, and ordained priest in 1903 by the Bishop of Calgary. From 1901 to 1904, Mr. Gale served first as curate, later as incumbent of the Parish of St. Philip and St. James, Pine Creek, together with St. Paul's, Fish Creek. The years 1904-10 he spent as C.M.S. Missionary on the Blood Reserve, the last three years of which period he acted as rural dean on East Macleod. In the fall of 1910, having accepted a call to St. John's, Mr. Gale, with his wife and family of six boys, took up residence in the parish, and he conducted his first services on October 2. Within a year the present beautiful church was erected and ready for dedication by Right. Rev. C. Pinkham, D.D., Bishop of Calgary, on October 1, 1911. In 1914, Mr. Gale was singularly honoured by appointment as honorary canon in the Diocese. In 1925 he was appointed rural dean of Calgary, and acted as such until 1934. Through year after year of faithful labour, this devoted servant of the Master continued to shepherd the souls in his charge until Easter, 1935. At that time, having accepted an appointment as Vicar of St. Mary the Virgin in the Old Country, he left with Mrs. Gale and their only daughter to reside at Beeston Rectory, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, England. St. John's stands today a living monument to the life and work in East Calgary of Reverend Canon G.E. Gale. * * * ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST CHURCH By Dean David J. Carter - Soon after the turn of the century, it became apparent that, in a community growing as fast as Calgary, one Church of England parish would not suffice. - Having bought from A. E. Cross, Esq., four lots (35, 36, 37, 38, block 12, plan A-3, Calgary) situated on what is now the corner of 9th Avenue and 12 Street East, the first church, a frame building, was the very generous gift of the dean, who conducted the first service therein on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6, 1905. - In 1907 issued title deed for the new parish of St. John the Evangelist. - Rev. Geo. A. Ray, M.A., was inducted as rector of the parish at Evensong on Wednesday, August 28, 1907. The new rector donated his first Christmas Offering, $25, the congregation's gift to him, to the fund for the purchase of the church lots. - On July 25, 1910, Mr. Ray forwarded his resignation to the bishop and conducted his last services in St. John's on August 28 three years to the day since his Induction. - On September 21, 1910, the appointment of Rev. G.E. Gale to succeed Mr. Ray as rector was gladly and unanimously approved. On October 2, Mr. Gale held his first services in St. John's. - The old St. John's rapidly became too small to accommodate the fast-growing congregation. - On November 2, 1910, the old church site was sold to Dr. G.H. Blow and Mr. Nunns for $24,000. - On November 2, 1910, lots 31, 32, 33 and 34, block 12, plan A-3, were purchased for the new church site from W. Stuart and F.W. Jones at a cost of $1,250 per lot. On November 9th, two further lots (29 and 30) adjoining were secured at the same prices per lot from W.J.S. Walker, Esq. - In the spring of 1911 the construction of the new church began; the old church and rectory were moved to the new site and feverish activity, destined to complete the new property by the fall, marked the summer months of that year. The new church, impressive beyond words to express, was dedicated by the late Bishop Pinkham on the 16th Sunday after Trinity, October 1, 1911. * * * Henderson's Directories: 1908 - zip 1911 - Church of England (owner) 1915 - Church of St. John the Evangelist Rev. Gervase E. Gale 1920 - ' ' ' Rev. Canon Gervase E. Gale. 1930 - ' ' ' ' 1940 - ' ' ' Rev. J.H. Oriel Rector 1950 - Turner, Rev. W.N. 1970 - Vander Leest, John J Rev (Josephine), pastor, Church of St. John the Evangelist. * * * * Draft Release May 8, 1980 Edmonton, Alberta St. John the Evangelist Church Declared a Registered Historic Resource St. John the Evangelist Church located at 1419 - 8th Avenue SE, Calgary has been designated a Registered Historic Resource announced Mary J. LeMessurier Minister Responsible for Culture. This structure was built in 1911, by the Parish of St. John the Evangelist which had been originally established in 1901 to act as a mission for the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer. The present Church is the second building constructed after parish status was attained in 1905. A.E. Cross, one of the 'Big Five' who founded the Calgary Stampede, was instrumental in the founding of the Parish and its early growth. St. John the Evangelist is a good example of a style of Anglican Church which is common in Alberta, but seldom executed on this intimate a scale in brick. The design is ultimately derived from the simple English parish church of the mid-nineteenth century, which followed the Gothic Revival style.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:

Register:	N/A

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places:	4664-0213