Nidaros Lutheran Church

The Nidaros Lutheran Church is significant for its strong cultural and spiritual associations with the local Norwegian community. In 1891, the Norwegian Lutheran congregation was founded in New Westminster, and unable to afford their own church the members worshipped in rented quarters. The congregation grew over time, and a committee was elected in 1920 to begin fundraising to build their own church. This lot was acquired the following year, and work commenced on the basement level in 1924, where services were held for the next decade. In 1934, construction commenced on the upper floor, and the church was completed on March 3, 1935.

The name of the church was significant to the Norwegian community as the old name for the city of Trondheim, the first capital of Norway that remains the place where new kings receive their ceremonial blessing. After Norway was invaded in the Second World War, the congregation became actively involved in Norwegian relief activities, and the church was a focus for community events.

Typical of Lutheran churches, the architecture of the church is unpretentious and unornamented. The form and massing of the church, designed to take advantage of its sloping site to allow natural light into the lower level hall, clearly indicate its liturgical function. The congregation moved to a new church in 1958, but the building remains in active use by another denomination as a place of worship.