A “labour of love” that took about three and a half months of work stands in Ken McCarthy's Penhold yard in the form of an unusual church.
The church is unusual because of its size – it's miniature.
McCarthy was inspired to build it after he and his wife had seen them throughout the United States during their travels.
“We've been taking pictures of them for five years,” McCarthy said. The tiny churches are usually a memorial, he said. In this case, the McCarthy church contains a picture of his wife's son, who died two years ago of cancer, and a beloved family dog.
The building has been attracting all kinds of attention, and has even featured in a wedding photo shoot. A gospel group from Blackfalds plans on using the church as part of a photo shoot for a banner and an album cover, McCarthy said.
“It's now just piquing interest,” McCarthy said. People often pull in on their way through Penhold to check out the church. McCarthy's installing a donation box that will collect funds for the Mental Health Association for any visitor who is feeling generous.
The project got started when he told his wife Lynn, “You find the bell and I will build the church.”
They repeated that to a family friend, with McCarthy joking he might never have to start the project.
“Two days later Ray walks through the door with it in his hand,” McCarthy said. While they're not sure when the bell was cast, it's stamped with the year 1850.
McCarthy started the project in March and constructed it all himself. He has a background in construction and sourced the materials locally through Penhold Building Supplies.
“You take a big church and you shrink it down with a scale rule,” McCarthy said. He used measurements taken from the photos and visits to other miniature churches to help him along.
The church featured small pews that McCarthy cut down to 28 inches from 13-foot long ones.
“The pews were all out of the Alliance church in Wimborne,” McCarthy said. With some of the leftover material, McCarthy built a podium for the church.
Lynn and a friend spent three and a half days working on the windows, which are designed to resemble stained glass.
The main part of the church was built inside McCarthy's shop. He moved it outside to put the steeple on and do the interior finishing.
The base footprint of the building measures eight by 12 feet. McCarthy estimated the process cost him about $4,000, not including his labour.
While building the church, McCarthy figures he averaged six hours a day, six days a week.
Often people visiting the site don't realize McCarthy built the church himself.
“One of the most common comments is, ‘Where did you buy it?'” McCarthy said.
When asked if he'd thought of turning miniature church construction into a side business, McCarthy said no.
“That's a labour of love,” he said of his pint-sized church.
