Nice steeple atop this belfry. Tall and steeply pitched, clad in cedar shingles and given a flared eave, it was intended to be seen from anywhere in the town when it was built. This was in part because the church served as a sanctuary for travellers in times of bad weather.
The bell tower of this church was not only an aesthetic addition, but a very utilitarian addition, as well. The belfry initially was built without a bell, but after the disastrous fire of 1894, a bell was added, not only to call the faithful to Sunday services, but to be used as a warning bell, should such an event recur.
Built as a Presbyterian church, Robertson Presbyterian Church, it was built in 1893. It was renamed St. Andrew's in 1900 and remained a Presbyterian Church until 1925. St. Andrew's United Church, part of Kootenay Presbytery, was formed in 1925 from the union of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and the local Methodist church.
St. Andrew´s United Church - 500 Fourth St.
Sunday Services at 10 a.m.
When the fever of the Gold Rush hit the West in the late 1800´s, villages and towns sprang up over night, and Kaslo was one of those towns. A young Presbyterian minister from St Thomas, Ontario heard about this, and his congregation at Knox Presbyterian sponsored him to come to Kaslo and start a church. His name was Rev. Martin, and he immediately got to work meeting the people and recruiting volunteers to build a church. He also developed his own mining claim, to help finance the project, and would visit all the hotels in the evening talking to the miners and inviting them to Sunday worship in the little one room school. He was very successful with recruiting helpers and donated materials to start the building of a church, and by 1893 Robertson Presbyterian was a rough functioning building holding regular church services.
In 1894 when the devastating fire destroyed much of the village, followed by the great flood a month later, the church building was used as a sanctuary for those in need of shelter.
The congregation grew and more finishing was completed in the church. Beautiful pews were purchased and are still in use today. It was also deemed important to install a bell in the Belfry, as a call to worship on Sundays, and also as an early warning signal if there should ever be another disaster like that of 1894.
In 1900, the congregation changed their name to St Andrew´s Presbyterian, and other improvements were made to the building along with the purchase of the Estee organ, which was paid for fully by the Uphill and Downhill sewing circles, the Ladies Aid, the Sabbath school and the Spinners Society.
In 1925, with the union of Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational Churches, the church´s name became St Andrew´s United.
The years 1925-1930 were the depression years. Many mines closed and times were tough. In 1942, during the war years, over 1000 Japanese-Canadians relocated in Kaslo and the church thrived, sharing the building with the Japanese-Canadian evacuees and the Reverends Shimuzu, and H.J Armitage. The building once again became a place of sanctuary.
Although 118 years have passed since the church was built in 1893, the role of St Andrew´s continues to evolve and the building remains a resource that provides a safe, welcoming space for many community activities and a valuable legacy from the past.
From the Kaslo and Area Chamber of Commerce
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