Historic Sites of Manitoba: St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church / St. Paul’s United Church / Central United Church (321 Eighth Street, Brandon)

Link to:
Clerics | Photos & Coordinates | Sources

In 1900, a brick church building was constructed at this site on Eighth Street in Brandon to replace a small, one-storey structure dating back to the 1880s. Designed by local architect Walter H. Shillinglaw and completed in January 1901, with seating capacity for over 1,000 people, the congregation of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church voted in 1925 to join the United Church of Canada, becoming St. Paul’s United Church. In July 1969, it united with First United Church to become Central United Church, the largest United church in western Manitoba.

Destroyed by fire in June 1986, the present church building that incorporates some elements from the preceding building was constructed on the same site on a design by noted architect Étienne-Joseph Gaboury. In January 2022, the congregation decided to disband as a result of declining attendance. The final service was held on 24 April 2022 and the building was put up for sale.

Clerics (St. Paul’s Presbyterian)

Period

Cleric

c1880-1882

Rev. J. Ferries

1882-1887

James Moffat Douglas (1839-1920)

1888-1894

Rev. A. Urquhart

1894-1903

Rev. A. E. Henry

1903-?

Rev. R. W. Dickie

?-1907

Rev. Duncan McLeod

1907-1925

Rev. J. George Miller

Clerics (St. Paul’s United / Central United Church)

Period

Cleric

1925-?

Rev. J. George Miller

?-1931

Rev. Philip Duncan

1931-?

?

?-?

Rev. G. MacGregor Grant

?-?

Rev. H. E. D. Ashford

?-?

Rev. George Goth

?-?

Rev. Walter Spence

?-?

Rev. J. C. Cronin

?-?

Rev. Kenneth Micklethwaite

?-?

Rev. W. C. Davis

?-1968

Wallace Ross Donogh (1887-1968)

Photos & Coordinates

Postcard view of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in centre with First Methodist Church at left

Postcard view of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in centre with First Methodist Church at left (circa 1912)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2021-0096

Postcard view of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church

Postcard view of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church (circa 1910)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2014-0061

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.84507, W99.94830
denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Walter Henderson Shillinglaw (1864-1957)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: First Presbyterian Church (339 Twelfth Street, Brandon)

Sources:

Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.

“Two churches amalgamate as Central United Church,” Brandon Sun, 28 June 1969, page 5.

“Central United burns,” Brandon Sun, 26 June 1986, page 1.

James Moffat Douglas, Dictionary of Canadian Biography.

Our Past, Central United Church.

St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Heritage Brandon.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 15 October 2022

Historic Sites of Manitoba

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