Manitoba Heritage Council Commemorative Plaques
Knox Presbyterian Church
396 First Street,
Neepawa
Designation Authority: Honourable Bonnie Mitchelson,
Minister of Culture, Heritage and Recreation
Present Owner: The Trustees of the Knox Congregation
of the Presbyterian Church at Neepawa
Manitoba’s dramatic growth in the 1880s and 1890s brought equally dramatic changes to church architecture. Churches built during the earlier Red River Settlement era (pre-1870) were sturdy, simple buildings, with designs based upon ancient traditions. The arrival in Manitoba of trained architects to the new province ushered in a new sophistication of design.
Knox Presbyterian is an excellent example of the evolution of the Romanesque Revival style. It features rusticated stone surfaces, round-arched windows and a pyramidal bell tower. The church was designed in 1892 by Portage la Prairie architect James H. McDonald who brought a sophisticated knowledge of architectural styles, materials and details to this project.
