Provincial Heritage Site No.??
The oldest Icelandic church in Canada was begun eight years after the arrival of the first settlers to the area. Many of them had left Iceland as early as 1872, moving first to New Iceland, then to difficult conditions in Wisconsin, Ontario and Nova Scotia. But, by 1890 there was a stable community of about 700 in the Argyle district.
According to Icelandic custom scripture readings were held every evening in each home. But with the growth in population there was need for a congregation. The Frikirja (Free Church) was established on January 1st 1884. However, in time, as in New Iceland earlier, there was a split, and disagreement over having one church and pastor for both congregations. But after a compromise Hafstein Pjetursson arrived from Iceland in 1889. He was ordained in Winnipeg and served until 1893.
Carpenters, Baering Hallgrimsson and Arni Sveinsson, built the wood-framed church with volunteer labour on 0.81 hectares of land purchased for $10.00. The church¹s rectangular plan is in the late 19th Century Gothic Revival style of rural Manitoba. The porch and belfry were added many years later.