Prairie Spirit: Medieval Revival Ecclesiastical Architecture in Saskatchewan, 1839 - 1913

Abstract

Architecture is an excellent indicator of the society that produced it. Saskatchewan’s architecture, however, has not received sufficient analysis and there are some major gaps in its history. One of the greatest gaps concerns the medieval revival styles, the Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival styles. These two styles became especially common in the province’s early religious architecture. Therefore, this analysis focuses on the use of medieval revival styles in ecclesiastical architecture from 1839 to 1913. The Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Presbyterian Churches made use of these styles during Saskatchewan’s most competitive, optimistic, and challenging period. In some instances, these conditions fostered the construction of innovative churches. The majority of these innovative churches were constructed in the harshest rural conditions and are true symbols of the prairie spirit. These early rural prairie churches provide glimpses of a potential Saskatchewan approach to the international styles through both their architectural components and the stories of their construction.