Description of Historic Place

Fairmede United Church of Canada is a Municipal Heritage Property located within the Rural Municipality of Silverwood No. 123, approximately 13 km north of Wawota. The property features a one-storey church built in 1910 situated next to a small cemetery surrounded by a row of trees.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Fairmede United Church of Canada resides in the property’s connection to the district’s pioneers. The church was constructed in 1910 by the area’s settlers as the first Methodist church in the area. It is situated on landscaped grounds, which are separated from the surrounding area by a partial tree row and several small tree groves. On the property is a small cemetery, which serves as the final resting place for many of the area’s pioneers. Although weekly church services have ceased, local residents still maintain the property in honour of the pioneers that founded the church.

The heritage value of the property also lies in it status as a country church. Small country churches once dotted Saskatchewan’s countryside. Over the years, the number of rural churches has declined, leaving Fairmede as the one of the last and the oldest country church within the municipality.

The heritage value of the property also resides in the property’s architecture. The church exhibits a slight Gothic Revival influence, common to small rural churches of the period. This influence can be observed in the pointed arches on the exterior windows and the gable roof.

Further heritage value of the property lies in the historical integrity of the interior elements, which maintain the style consistent with small early twentieth-century churches. The interior features wood wainscoting and doors, tin ceiling and crown mouldings. The sanctuary is raised above the main floor and is defined by a wood carved railing, which separates the pulpit and choir from the rest of the congregational seating.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Silverwood No. 123 Bylaw 59.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Fairmede United Church of Canada resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements that reflect its Gothic Revival design influence, such as the pointed-arch windows and gable roof;
-the historical integrity of the interior, including the wainscoting, wood doors and raised sanctuary;
-the building's simple massing and rectangular form;
-its position on its original location;
-the regular pattern of the grave sites;
-painted sign above the front entrance;
-the tree rows around the property and small tree groves.