St. Mark's Anglican Church
- Holding Bylaw
Description of the Historic Place
St. Mark’s Anglican Church is a small white church built in 1939 on a corner lot in the neighbourhood of North Park. The building resembles an English stone-built church, whose form and size is more commonly seen in rural communities than in an urban setting. The property also contains two other buildings on the site, including a parish hall and a manse.
This historic place, located at 1406 8th Avenue North, is listed under Bylaw No. 6770 (Holding Bylaw). This Bylaw provides short-term protection of the building from demolition by providing for a 60 day holding period in the event a demolition permit is received. Within that 60 day period heritage designation is considered by City Council.
Heritage Value
The heritage value of St. Mark’s Anglican Church lies in its significance as a religious and historical landmark. The first meetings of St. Mark's Anglican Church were held in a stable on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River, possibly as early as 1911. Between 1922 and 1925 the stable was moved to the church's present location at the corner of 8th Avenue and Osbourne Street in the North Park area of Saskatoon. The stable doubled as a church and parish hall until 1939, when the church was built, and continued to serve as a parish hall until it was replaced in 1950.
The church is a wooden-frame copy of an English stone-built church. The Church was built with a porch on the west end of the building and steps with iron railings on the south side of the porch leading to double doors that give entrance to the foyer. The pinnacle of the bell tower is crowned with a Celtic cross that pays homage to the British roots of the church. Near the front of the church, the aisle widens to provide for the choir on each side. In front of the choir on the left is the font and lectern. The church cost an estimated $2,500 at the time of its construction and has a seating capacity between 90 – 100 people.
St. Mark's Anglican Church was not only an important place of worship, it also functioned as a community centre. Evidence of the role of St. Mark's Anglican Church in the community can still be seen in the scroll of volunteers who served "King and Country" in World War II, which still hangs to the left of the font. In the 1940s St. Mark's parish hall was also home to the North Park Players (a theatre troupe) and to teen dances. A number of noted clergy have been associated with the church, including Don Marsh, who conducted services at St. Mark's Anglican Church as a student at Emmanuel College and went on to become Rt. Rev. Donald Marsh, Bishop of the Arctic. Today, the church still conveys character in the neighbourhood of North Park.
Source: City of Saskatoon Built Heritage Database
Character Defining Elements
Key elements which contribute to the heritage value of this historic resource include:
- Its architecture, which reflects its prairie influences, evident in: its form, steeply pitched roof, arched gothic style windows, bell tower, and double door entryway;
- Those elements that reflect its historical importance in Saskatoon’s Anglican community and its cultural importance as a church, including its Celtic cross and scroll of volunteers; and
- Those elements that speak to its status as a neighbourhood landmark, including its orientation on its original lot.