Key Number:	HS 51387
Site Name:	Amisk - Park Lutheran Church
Other Names:
Site Type:	1603 - Religious: Church, Cathedral or Chapel

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			41	8	4

Address:	N/A
Number:	N/A
Street:	N/A
Avenue:	N/A
Other:
Town:
Near Town:	Amisk

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:
Plan Shape:	Rectangular
Storeys:	Storeys: 1
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: Concrete
Superstructure:	Nailed Frame
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:	High Gable
Roof Cover:	Shingle
Exterior Codes:
Exterior:	'Carpenter Gothic' style; central tower and spire dominating the front; steep gable roof; all window and door openings are gothic in design.
Interior:	N/A
Environment:	Rural Located on .6 acres on the outskirts of the village of Amisk. The landscaping consists of a lawn which is probably used for parking purposes when services are taking place in the church. Its high steeple can be seen from a long distance.
Condition:	The building is in good structural condition. Fair (1999)
Alterations:	A shed roof lean-to addition to one side at the rear of the church, was re-constructed about a year ago with the roof and window matching the main structure.

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Construction Started
Usage:	Usage Date:
Church
Owner:	Owner Date:
The Congregation of the Norwegian Church of Amisk.

Architect:	N/A
Builder:	N/A
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	Owner: The Congregation of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of Amisk, c/o Lorraine Pearson. Municipality: Village of Amisk. * * * Building Description : Amisk-Park Lutheran Church is a one and one-half storey, wood frame, L shaped structure on a concrete foundation which has been used as a church since its construction in approximately 1924. The historical integrity of the building has been maintained despite a recent addition to the rear of the structure which was made of similar materials and designed in a style consistent with the 1920s portion of the building. The other change to the building, which has increased its usefulness to the congregation while not detracting from its historical integrity has been the construction of a new foundation and the finishing of the basement. Historical Significance : The Canada Pacific Railway built the Wetaskiwin-Saskatoon branch line in the midst of the 1896-1914 settlement boom, and it was the prospect of railway service that drew settlers to the Amisk area in late 1905. Begun from Wetaskiwin in 1905, the railway reached Hardisty the next year, and was completed through Amisk in 1909. Most of the homestead parcels close to the right-of-way went in 1906 and 1907, while land five and six miles north and south of the line was taken in 1908-12 period. Sandy soil prompted area settlers to develop mixed, grain and livestock farms. Norwegian, Swedish and, to a lesser extent, Anglo-Irish settlers occupied the district, most after some time in the United States. As well, many family heads were middle-aged and came with established families. ... Following suit in July 1919, the 'congregation of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of Amisk' bought .6 acres from C.P.R. for $150 for a church just west of the hamlet's boundary. Its trustees, were all farmers, one of whom, Andrew Hoiland, originally homesteaded in the Park area. Construction ... began in 1920 ... was completed about 1924. With exception of the pews, fashioned by a local craftsman, Amisk-Park Church, as it became known, was built by volunteer labour. Builders may have used the nearby Carpenter Gothic Swedish church as a model. ... In sum, Amisk-Park Church was built as a religious and cultural expression of a rural, ethnic group. Its location on the outskirts of town suggests the Norwegians were making some kind of claim on Amisk, or at least that the group was extending into the hamlet. Today, for some, the church is a reminder of that unified impulse. Architectural Significance : The Norwegian Amisk-Park Lutheran Church was built by members of the congregation between 1920 and 1924 in the Carpenter Gothic style - one and a half storey with the hallmark, lancet nave windows. Carpenter Gothic was the wood version of a widespread Gothic Revival influence in western church architecture dating from the nineteenth century. The central tower of Amisk-Park Church, topped by an octagonal spire on a broached base, and its Basilican shape, are what distinguish it as a pre-1940 Lutheran church. In fact in this period, apart from some in the Mission style, Lutheran churches of all Alberta synods show a striking consistency in appearance. Within the Lutheran Gothic tradition, though, there are small but definite differences between early 1900s churches and those built in the mid and late twenties. Just as Late Gothic Revival masonry churches exhibit a smooth look compared with High Victoria Gothic examples, so too are spires and towers in general more simplified in the later Lutheran structures. Four-sided spires were usual in the churches of the twenties, and by then a smooth, vertical face had replaced tiring and ornated bell vents on the tower part of the building. Amisk-Park Church, although completed in 1924, has the earmarks of Victorian influences, perhaps partially reflecting the conservative nature of Norwegian Lutherans. * * * Amisk-Park Lutheran Church The Canadian Pacific Railway began construction of the Wetaskiwin-Saskatoon branch line in 1905 to take advantage of the boom in Western Canadian settlement. The promise of this rail connection attracted settlers to the Amisk area although the line was not completed through to Amisk until 1909. Most of these settlers were of Norwegian and Swedish extraction, though some English-speaking settlers including a number from the United States were also attracted to the area. The sandy soil found near Amisk encouraged early settlers to adopt a mixed farming strategy based on both grain and livestock production. Because the population remained predominately rural, the first Norwegian Lutheran churches in the area were not located in Amisk, but by the end of World War I the population of Amisk had grown enough to justify centralizing congregations in single church. In July 1919, the congregation of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of Amisk bought 0.6 acres of land from the CPR just west of the settlement's boundary as a site for their church. This church was built almost exclusively by volunteer labour and was completed in about 1924. Its style is very like other pioneer churches in the region and shows clear evidence of the influence of Carpenter Gothic, which in turn was an attempt to apply Gothic church features to wooden structures. The church was used until about 1972 when declining parishioners and a desire to link up with a congregation in nearby Hughenden forced temporary closure of the church. Reorganization within the separate branches of the Lutheran Church in the 1980s enabled the Amisk-Park Lutheran Church to reopen in 1986 by sharing pastors with a number of other churches in the area. The Amisk-Park Lutheran Church reflects the distinctive ethnic settlement pattern of the area in the early 1900's. Both the style of the church and the fact that it was constructed primarily through volunteer labour underline the degree to which such early churches were the products of local initiative and collective pride. As such it reflects an important stage in the history of the settlement of this area of Alberta. * * RESTORATION ADVISORY SERVICES TECHNICAL EVALUATION OF THE AMISK-PARK LUTHERAN CHURCH Amisk, Alberta, June 1989. Design : This is a typical rural church building in 'Carpenter Gothic' style. The design of the building is relatively simple, being rectangular in plan with a central tower and spire dominating the front. The roof is a steep gable and all window and door openings are gothic in design. Construction: The building is constructed of wood frame, and rests on a high basement type of concrete foundation. The exterior is sheathed with clapboard siding and the roof is covered with wood shingles. The interior was originally finished with plaster which was later covered with wood paneling and fiberboards. A shed roof lean-to addition to one side at the rear of the church, was re-constructed about a year ago with roof and window matching the main structure. The entire building exhibits a high degree of craftsmanship and quality materials. Condition: The building is in good structural condition. A year ago, with the assistance of the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation, a new concrete foundation was installed replacing the original foundation, which was badly cracked and unstable. At the same time, the leaking roof was re-covered with new cedar shingles. Today, both the exterior and interior building fabrics are in good to fair condition. Alteration : As indicated above, the major alterations to the building are the more compatible addition at the rear and a new foundation. Environment : This is not only one of the oldest, but also an outstanding and conspicuous structure in this small village. Its high steeple can be seen from a long distance and has been a landmark in this small community since its original construction. * * * News Release July 29, 1991 Amisk-Park Lutheran Church Named Historic Resource Doug Main, Minister of Culture and Multiculturalism, has announced that the Amisk-Park Lutheran Church in Amisk has been designated a registered historic resource. Built in 1924 by Norwegian settlers, the one-and-a-half story wood-frame church is located on the outskirts of the village of Amisk where its steeple is an area landmark since it was first built.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:

Register:	N/A

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places: