Material Type

Photograph

Date Range

no date

Physical Description

Three black and white copy photographs

Physical Condition

Excellent

History Biographical

The first service of what would become the Anglican Church of St. Mary the Virgin was held in the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Moore, who lived on 13 Street North in the neighbourhood referred to as "Little Wigan". The first church building was constructed on the east side of 13 Street North, north of 9 Avenue North. It was dedicated on 10 October 1905. The church bell came from the first locomotive used in the collieries here, and is still a feature of the church building. In 1912 the building at 541 12 Street C North was constructed. The first church building was also moved to the site and, with the addition of a stage and kitchen, became the Parish Hall. When a new Parish Hall was built in 1978, the original building was demolished. The 1978 Parish Hall was dedicated to Grace and Albert Dainty, and was funded through a bequest from Miss Dainty’s estate. Initially, services were conducted by laymen under the supervision of clergy from St. Augustine's Anglican Church in south Lethbridge. Mr. Benjamin Martin, co-founder of Martin Bros. Funeral Home, was one of the “lay readers”. J.E. Murrell-Wright was one of the early clergymen from St. Augustine’s Church to supervise St. Mary’s Mission. The first clergyman to serve full time at the church was C.H. Popham. Ministers who followed Mr. Popham include A.E. Snow (1916-1919), Stanley Ripper (1919-1921), W.H. Cripps (1921-1929), Arnold Clay (1929-1932), H. Phipps-Williams (1932-1935), Victor E. Smith (1936-1940), Robert W. Cowan (1946-1981), Michael Ebsworth (1981-1995), Sheila Whittle (1996-1997), Michael Ebsworth [interim] (1998), and Pam Orman (1999-2003) St. Mary’s Anglican Church suffered from declining membership through the late 1990s and early 2000s. In August 2003, the congregation decided to dissolve St. Mary’s and join St. Augustine’s Anglican Church. The church building was in use by another denomination by September 2003.

Acquisition Source

Curch of St. Mary the Virgin

Custodial History

The originals of these photographs were part of the archives of St. Mary's Anglican Church.

Scope and Content

Views of the first Church of St. Mary the Virgin building, the second church building and the interior of the second building

Access Restrictions

Public Access

Accession No.

20001026000

Collection

Archive

Less detail