Five Vancouver buildings originally built as churches have been repurposed for residential, community, or other uses over the past century.
The Story
In the city’s early years, churches often served as key community meeting places and religious hubs, and several former church buildings around Vancouver have continued in new roles rather than being demolished.
2525 Quebec St. began as the Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church congregation’s home in 1909, and it was converted in the 1990s into a residential development called “Cornerstone,” with 23 residential units including those in the towers.
At 3214 W 10th Ave, the former United Church became the St. James Community Square (also known as “The Square”) in the 1990s, operating as an independent community hub with childcare, youth programs and event space; the property was bought by the city in 2016 to keep it serving that function.
Built in 1921 for the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, the building at 3092 Fraser St. remains a small stone structure that reflects its earlier design features, though it is no longer used for that original church purpose.
In Strathcona, 823 Jackson Ave was built in 1910 as the First Scandinavian Lutheran Church, later sold in 1918 to the African Methodist Episcopal Church congregation and rebranded as the Fountain Chapel, where it was described as a central part of the Hogan’s Alley community; the building later came under the Basel Hakka Lutheran congregation and, after a new building was acquired in 2008, the original church building was converted into a private residence.
At 809 West 23rd Ave, a building constructed in 1927 was originally the Douglas Park United Church, then used by a local Baptist congregation after the United Church moved; the Baptist congregation remained until the 1950s, when the building was transferred to the Ancient and Mystical Order of Rosae Crucis, and it was later converted into a residence around 2019.
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