Wagin Methodist Church (fmr)

Statement of Significance

Uniting Methodist Church is a representative example of a simplified interpretation of the Federation Gothic style. The place has historic value as a demonstration of the development that occurred in Wagin around the turn-of-the-century sis it became the service centre of the district.

Physical Description

The church building is conventionally orientated east-west and built in a simplified interpretation of the Federation Gothic style.1 The building is set in a landscaped setting with established tress and is immediately surrounded by a concrete path. Lawn is on the south side of the building and car parking is on the north side. The church is set back from the street alignment and has a concrete and brick paved forecourt. The church building has an entrance porch and an north transept. The walls of the building are fair-faced brickwork laid in english bond with dark headers. The walls have rendered quoins and a series of continuous horizontal rendered bands. The walls are strengthened by stepped buttresses that corbel at the corers of the building and which strengthen the walls of the nave. The building is covered with a high-pitched gable roof with metal roof vents. A decorative iron cross decorates the roof at each apex. The gable walls have cement rendered copings. The roof lacks ornamentation other than the detail at the base of the copings, the walls corbel out at the top to support the gable ends. A porch breaks the simplicity of the facade. Covered with a gable roof, the porch features a Tudor style doorway with a timber door, and a prominent bargeboard and decorative finial. Above the porch in the gable wall is an oval accent. A lancet, with the lower pane divided into smaller panes with slim glazing bars, is each side of the entrance porch. Then nave comprises six lancets, three on each side, one between each buttress. The windows have opening sashes in timber frames, and are defined by rendered reveals, sills and hoods. The northern wall of the transept features two tall lancets with three paned awning sashes with fanlights, now covered. A lancet shaped metal louvred vent is high on the gable wall. A doorway on the northern wall of the transept has been bricked-up. A brick addition covered with a lean-to roof is across the rear of the church. The addition functions for use as a meeting room. A further brick addition at the north-west corner of the building accommodates toilets. Date of the additions is unknown. Overall, the building appears in good condition. Some mortar has fretted on lower courses of the external walls.

History

A building fund for the establishment of a Methodist Church was established in 1907, as services had to be held in the Agricultural Hall for want of a church. The Trustees accepted the tender of Messrs V. Hantke and Sons of Wagin to build the church for £488. Mr Sproule, of Collanilling, supervised the building construction. The foundation stone was laid by Mrs Wesley Maley on 17 April 1907: The Rev. Milton Maley (the pastor) expressed the gratification he felt at seeing the success which had attended the efforts of members of the Methodist Church in Wagin to possess a building of their own wherein to worship. The Rev. Milton Maley then placed a bottle containing a copy of the current quarter's circuit plan and a copy of the programme of the afternoon's proceedings in the receptacle behind the stone. Mrs Wesley Malley then performed the act of placing the tablet in position, tapping the same with a gavel presented to her by the trustees.2 The building, to be constructed, was described in detail: the dimensions of the building would be 40ft. x 26ft., with walls 15ft. 6in. high, and a porch 9x7. The building, which is of brick, is to be ornamented with cement bands on the outer walls, the inner ones to be plastered and set in white. The windows are to be glazed with Cathedral glass, and a colored [sic] glass lead window is to be placed in the wall over the porch. Especial care has been taken over the matter of ventilation, and besides six Z shaped ventilators in each side wall, four ventilators in the ceiling are connected with air shafts to cowls on the roof. There is to be a small rostrum having fancy turned rails, and the jarrah floor will have a fall towards the front of six inches. The ceiling is lined with matchboard. All joinery and turnery work is to be manufactured locally by the contractors, even to the gavel, made of jam wood and sandalwood, which was presented to Mrs Maley as a memento of the occasion3 In October 1907, the Church was dedicated. Electric light replaced the carbide gas plant in 1914. In 1920, a plan for a Sunday School to be built the back of the Church was approved. It was completed in 1925.4 The present pulpit was purchased in January 1929, at a cost of £93.5 In 1977, the Wagin Methodist Church was amalgamated with the Uniting Church of Australia.

Integrity/Authenticity

INTEGRITY: High AUTHENTICITY: High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

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