Casavant Frères Ltée.

Date unknown - Organ case (Photograph from an archival source: Church website, submitted by Jim Stettner/Jim Stettner)

Date unknown - Organ case in front from narthex (Photograph from an archival source: Church website, submitted by Jim Stettner/Jim Stettner)

2012-10-08 - Church exterior (Photograph from an archival source: Church Facebook page, submitted by Jim Stettner/Jim Stettner)

1920-1940 - Church exterior (Photograph from an archival source: Internet Archive [Public Domain], submitted by Jim Stettner/Jim Stettner)

Notes

2022-11-22 - This entry represents the installation of what is believed to be a new organ, but from when it was either Victoria Methdist or Knox United. The present church website states it was a Casavant tracker. Identified from a video on the Christian Reformed Facebook page. All that remains now is the case and speaking facade pipes. From the Manitoba Historical Society website: "Brandon architect William Alexander Elliott designed the Victoria Methodist Church that stands at the northwest corner of Victoria Avenue and Fifteenth Street. Completed between 1909 and 1910, the church joined with Knox Presbyterian Church in 1925 and the combined congregation used this building under the new name Knox United Church. In 1954, the building was sold to the congregation of the First Christian Reform Church, who continue to worship here." -Jim Stettner

2022-11-22 - From the Christian Reformed Church website, *"Our Building": Our building was built in 1909 as the home of Victoria Avenue Methodist Church. On June 10, 1925 this congregation joined the union with the Presbyterian, Congregational and Methodist churches to form the United Church of Canada. On the southeast corner of 15th and Victoria Avenue stood the Knox Presbyterian Church, which also joined the union. The two churches worshipped as separate congregations until 1933, when due to the Great Depression and its impact on the economy, the two congregations merged to become Victoria Avenue United Church.* *The United Church congregation used both buildings for a short time, worshipping in the former Knox Presbyterian Church building and holding Sunday School and mid-week activities in the Victoria Avenue Methodist building. As the Depression deepened, in 1935 the congregation ceased worshipping at the south east corner building and all activities were held in the building on the north west corner of Victoria Ave. In 1937, the old Knox Presbyterian building was torn down and in 1938 the congregation adopted the name Knox United Church. You can still see the foundation of the former church as a house has been built on it.* *By the early 50’s the Knox congregation outgrew the capacity of this building and launched a building program. In 1954 they sold the building to the First Christian Reformed Church, a relatively new church in Brandon, for a grand sum of $25,000. They in turn moved into the building they currently occupy on 18th Street, taking the corner stone with them, which you can see in their lobby.* *Presently, the First Christian Reformed Church building has been modified during the years to better serve the needs of the congregation. The original church was built with a Casevant tracker action pipe organ. Sometime before 1954 it was replaced with an electric organ and all that remains of original organ is the front and the speaking pipes you currently see. Since then, several electric organs served the congregation before, ultimately, a keyboard was favoured. The former lights which hung from the beams were replaced with the “modern” bullet indirect lighting on the walls. The original circular stage with its round pulpit was removed and a large straight pulpit from the Knox building was installed."* -Jim Stettner

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