Thingvalla Church

Thingvalla Lutheran Church is located 200 km northeast of Regina and 17 km northeast of the town of Churchbridge. The Church and adjacent cemetery were designated a municipal heritage site in 2005. The property is managed by a local community organization that includes descendents of the first Icelandic homesteaders.

The Icelandic community had a considerable presence in western Canada at the end of the 19th century. The first colony was founded in Manitoba in 1875 and declared itself an independent republic in 1877. While the Canadian Government abolished the republic in 1887, Icelanders continued to be actively recruited by colonization agents. The first Icelandic homesteaders to come to Saskatchewan arrived in Thingvalla in 1885. The Thingvalla Lutheran Congregation, affiliated with the Icelandic Lutheran Synod, was constituted in June of 1888. A log school was constructed in that year reflecting the commitment of the community to the tradition of Icelandic literature. This building was used on occasion for weddings and baptisms. Regular services were held in the homes of the congregation until 1891 when a pastor was hired. That same year, a community hall was built and services were held when the pastor was available. Thingvalla Church was not built until 1910, twenty-five years after the community first arrived. This delay in building a church is uncharacteristic in our study and reflects the priorities of the community. It may also have been influenced by difficulties in finding a pastor who was committed to the congregation. The Icelandic Lutheran Church in Canada was sharply divided between Jonsmenn and Palsmenn at the end of the 19th century and this division had an architectural dimension. Jonsmenn were committed to the new colonies and argued that church building should use indigenous materials and techniques including log and plaster. The Palsmenn argued that the Canadian group should maintain its ties with European tradition because the colonies were likely to fail. This division may have contributed to the delay in committing to a specific church architecture.

Although smaller, Thingvalla resembles the Swedish Mission Church of 1916 in that it appears to be constructed from a kit of standard parts. A number of Winnipeg based companies offered packages of “semi-ready” buildings that were shipped west by train. These were available in modules and allowed the buyer flexibility in building size. The church is a simple, one room frame building of 40m2. It is finished on the exterior with a lapped siding and on the interior with tongue and groove pine. The foundations have been replaced recently and the interior refurbished. The exterior was in the process of restoration during our field visits. While these recent conservation efforts seem more concerned with minimizing future maintenance than historical veracity, Thingvalla appears to have a supportive community and the property is well maintained.