St. Andrew's College (Saskatoon)

 presbyterianism, university college

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In 1914, the University agreed to lease 4.5 acres of land to the Presbyterian Theological College of Saskatoon for a period of 21 years at an annual rate of $5.00. The lease was subject to renewal, but was conditional: the land could only be used “for the purpose of erecting buildings and structures for the advancement of learning and for teaching and instruction in Theology and Divinity” and any architectural plans had to be submitted to the University’s Board of Governors for approval. Should the lease end, ownership of both land and buildings would revert to the University, which would compensate the College for the value of any structures based on their usefulness for “teaching and instruction or...as Dormitories for Students.”

Plans to establish a Presbyterian College, affiliated with the University, had begun in 1910, spearheaded largely by Walter Murray. By 1911, with private donations of nearly $50,000, Murray wrote architects Brown & Vallance with expectations for a first wing. The first requirement was for a residence for 40 students, with a common room, kitchen, dining room, matrons’ and servants’ quarters, and “a place to store trunks in the attic.” Lecture rooms and offices, a library and possibly a gymnasium, could be accommodated in a later addition; ultimately, Murray envisioned the dining hall should be able to accommodate 120 or 130 students. The site they anticipated building on was “on the northern side of the campus as near to the river as the Board of Governors will grant.”

Foundations were laid and materiel accumulated, but all plans were cancelled with the outbreak of war. Construction did not begin again until 1922, on land at the southwest corner of the campus, adjacent to the main campus entrance. David Brown remained as architect. The building, site, and furnishings combined were expected to cost $185,000. As with the original concept, the building was planned so that future expansion would be possible.

In 1924, apparently in anticipation of Church Union, the college was renamed St. Andrew's College and it became a theological college of the new United Church of Canada in 1925.

An addition was made to the building between 1959-1961; the firm of Webster, Forrester, Scott were the architects.