Description of Historic Place

The St. Mary's Roumanian Orthodox Church of Boian is a typical rural vernacular church, built between 1903 and 1905. The church is a log structure covered with siding and is located on a property of 14.8 hectares in a rural setting approximately 9.7 kilometres east of Willingdon in central Alberta.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the St. Mary's Roumanian Orthodox Church of Boian lies in its association with the Romanian settlement in the Willingdon-Hairy Hill district at the turn of the twentieth century. It is also a good example of the vernacular Orthodox Church architecture found in the prairie west.

The first substantial Romanian community to establish itself in western Canada arrived in the Boian area in 1898, as part of the wave of European immigration flooding the prairie west at the turn of the twentieth century. Constructed by the settlers, the church has been used continuously since 1905 for regular services, christenings, funerals and weddings of the Romanian people. It is one of the oldest Romanian Orthodox churches still in use in North America.

Interesting architectural features include the belfry, cupola, fanlight window, and the altar and sacristy contained in the east elevation. The pioneer log construction was covered with wood siding in 1918 and stucco in 1948. It is one of a number of Eastern European churches in the region, and contributes to the cultural landscape.

Source: Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, Historic Resources Management Branch (File: Des. 2018)

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of St. Mary's Roumanian Orthodox Church of Boian is expressed in character-defining elements such as:
-form, scale and massing;
- wood construction;
-fenestration pattern including fanlight window above west entry porch;
- west, rectangular belfry with sheet metal roof and cast iron cross and two small sheet metal dormers;
-bell tower;
- interior details such as the icon screen, altar and sacristy in the east apse;
- continued location on its original site.