Description of Historic Place

The St. Paul’s Lutheran Church is a Municipal Heritage Property that occupies three city lots at 73 Smith Street East in the City of Yorkton. The property features a 1 ½-storey building constructed in 1901 with a major addition built in 1970.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church resides in its status as the oldest church in Yorkton and its association with the religious history of the area. Built as a Methodist Church in 1901, the Lutherans purchased the property in 1929. Due to the growth of the congregation, an addition was added to the rear of the building in 1970. The addition houses a library, administration office, instruction rooms, and Sunday school rooms. Positioned on its original site, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church continues to serve the congregation by hosting services, Sunday school classes, weddings, funerals, and educational workshops.

The heritage value of the property also lies in the historic integrity of its construction materials dating from the time of construction. The interior retains many of its historic wood features, including the narrow v-joint ceiling, supporting beams, mouldings and wood wall panelling. The exterior also retains a high degree of historical integrity through its use of distinctive yellow brick, which came from the Morozoff Brick Plant, an early Yorkton business, and the fieldstone foundation. Also of note are the decorative stained glass windows, three at the front of the church and two behind the altar.

The heritage value of St. Paul’s Lutheran church also resides in its form and composition. The church prominently features a large corner tower, which was common among Methodist churches at the time of construction. The tower notably features two banks of compound arches in the belfry topped with a four-sided spire with crenellated base. Other notable architectural features include the side buttresses, compound arch on the front facade with a large rose window situated above. The tower’s composition helps make the church a landmark in the community.

Source:

City of Yorkton Bylaw No. 8 – 98.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements of the property that speak to its status as the oldest church in Yorkton, including the positioning of the church on its original location;
-those elements of the property that reflect the material historic integrity, including the narrow v-joint ceiling, supporting beams, wood panelled interior walls, mouldings, five decorative stained glass windows, exterior yellow brick walls, and the fieldstone foundation;
-those elements of the property that reflect its unique form and composition, including rounded-arch compound windows, rose window, buttresses and corner bell tower and spire with crenellated base.