Gospel Hall on 3 Avenue and 8 Street West across from Drumheller’s McConkey Park was built in the 1920s, and is in the initial stages of its application to the town’s Heritage Committee to seek designation as a Municipal Historic Resource.
The old Gospel Hall built in the 1920s, and situated on Drumheller’s 3 Avenue and 8 Street West across from McConkey Park, is starting the process to seek historical designation.
“We’re looking into how it can fit in with the program,” said Mike Todor, Board Member of Drumheller’s Heritage Committee, noting the hall’s application to the committee is in its initial stages.
Gospel Hall was home to the Full Gospel Assembly, which served the African-Canadian population present in Drumheller in the 1920s that had fled persecution in the U.S.
Gospel Hall will be the third building seeking historical designation under the Town of Drumheller’s Heritage Building Bylaw.
Council adopted the heritage bylaw in August of 2014, that designated the East Coulee School Museum the Town’s first municipal historic resource.
Elim Pentecostal Tabernacle made their application to the Heritage Committee for the old Central School in September.
Elim Pentecostal Tabernacle, owners of the Old Central School, filed their initial application with Drumheller’s Heritage Committee in September 2014.
Both the museum and old school now have to get property assessments performed, Todor said, for the province, and once that assessment is completed, the properties will be included in the provincial heritage program and be eligible for provincial funding.
Todor said it is quite a lengthy process for a municipal property to get the point to receive provincial funding.
Drumheller’s Heritage Committee has started with 50 properties in its catalogue for potential historic designation in the Town.
