Church of the Holy Trinity, Toronto
Encyclopedia
The Church of the Holy Trinity is an Anglican
church in downtown Toronto, Canada at Trinity Square
.
structure was built in 1847 by architect Henry Bowyer Lane
, who also designed Little Trinity Anglican Church
on King Street and St. George the Martyr Church in Toronto. The funds for its construction were a gift from Mary Lambert Swale of Settle
, England. Swale had originally made the donation anonymously, but her name was eventually revealed. She had provided the gift with the stipulation that the church be open to the public, with no reserved pews.
The lands for the church were given by the Honourable John Simcoe Macaulay
in 1845. Macaulay's cottage, 'Teraulay' was then situated on an estate named Macaulay's Fields which extended from present day Yonge
to Bay
(then known as Teraulay) Streets, and from today's Albert Street (then known as Jeremy Street) to just south of Dundas Street. Building lots filled in the edges of the property to the north, south, and west of the Trinity site, and the central portion of the property was donated for the construction of the church. Eventually the east side of the Trinity site was sold to permit retail frontage on Yonge Street, enclosing Trinity Church, although a roadway connected Trinity to Yonge Street.
Holy Trinity was the fourth Anglican church in Toronto, after St. James' Cathedral, Little Trinity
, and St. George the Martyr Church. The church's first rector was Henry Scadding
.
, the Church of the Holy Trinity is surrounded by the Toronto Eaton Centre
on the north, south, and east sides, a Marriott hotel and the Ted Rogers School of Management to the northwest, and the office building known as Bell Trinity Square to the southeast. The original Eaton Centre construction plans called for the church to be demolished as well, but the parishioners successfully resisted and forced the mall's design to be changed.
Since its construction, the city of Toronto has expanded so that the church now finds itself in the middle of Toronto’s urban core. As a result, the church has tailored its ministry to the urban homeless and needy, and maintains a memorial outside the church doors which lists the names of homeless people who have died on the streets of Toronto.
The church also has an active outreach to Toronto's lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender
community. Prior to acquiring its first building in 1985, the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto
worshipped there, and the church vocally supported Anglican priest James Ferry
after he was inhibited by the Anglican Church in 1991 when his sexual relationship with another man was discovered.
Holy Trinity has also become an important venue for artistic events. The church participates as a venue in Toronto's annual Nuit Blanche
, and presents a weekly series of classical, choral
and jazz
concerts throughout the year, as well as a dramatization of the Christmas story every December since 1937. Due to the church's excellent acoustics, Canadian rock band Cowboy Junkies
recorded their 1988 breakthrough album The Trinity Session
at the church on November 27, 1987. In 2006, they returned to record a 20th anniversary edition of the album, Trinity Revisited
.
has been preserved for the pedestrian lane from Bay Street to Trinity Square and also for Hagerman Street. It is visible from Toronto City Hall
's podium green roof.
The church's Gothic Revival design is evident in the materials and elements of the building. This style emphasizes verticality and light, which is achieved through the use of tall stained glass windows and twin turrets outlining the main entrance of the church. Like many Gothic churches, the Church of the Holy Trinity uses limestone for its foundation and window tracery, as well as sandstone, brick, and wood. This church follows the Gothic church characteristic of a cruciform in plan. The pointed arch is repeated throughout the whole building, present in the doors, windows, and Gothic vault. The stained glass windows are translucent and allow daylight into the church, each with its own unique design. Together, the variety of window designs speaks about the Bible and the history of the building. A unique element on the exterior of the church is the line of colourful shields under the eaves.
Mary Lambart Swale died at the age of 25 and entrusted the Toronto Diocese gave a gift of 5000 sterling to build a church. She requested that the church in the Gothic style, that the name be Holy Trinity, that the reading desk and pulpit not be placed as to obstruct the view of patrons, and that the pews were to be free for everyone forever. Along with the original gift she also gave a Font that can still be found in the church today. The Gothic style chosen for The Church of the Holy Trinity was the late medieval Tudor Style. The four pointed arch (also known as the Tudor Arch) in combination with the tall and narrow oriel windows are of Tudor style. The decorative chimney caps on most of the eleven chimneys are also in the style of Tudor architecture. The two towers flanking the west entrance of the church became a landmark of Toronto in the mid-nineteenth century and could be seen throughout the city.
There are emblems, symbols, and initials on crests under the eaves of the entire exterior, a unique feature of the church. These crests bear the initials of early rectors, the architect, and the builder. The symbols include an open book, King Soloman's head, and several other masonic symbols. A brochure can be picked up at the entrance to the church showing and explaining the crests.
Anglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada is the Province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French name is l'Église Anglicane du Canada. The ACC is the third largest church in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, consisting of 800,000 registered members...
church in downtown Toronto, Canada at Trinity Square
Trinity Square (Toronto)
Trinity Square is a public square in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded by the Toronto Eaton Centre, an office building known as Bell Trinity Square, and the Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel. The square's primary feature is the Anglican Church of the Holy Trinity...
.
History
The modest Gothic RevivalGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
structure was built in 1847 by architect Henry Bowyer Lane
Henry Bowyer Lane
Henry Bowyer Joseph Lane was an English architect who worked in Toronto from c. 1841 to 1847.Lane's education included time at Blundell's School in Tiverton and subsequent professional training in England before he emigrated to Canada in 1841, living first in Cobourg, Upper Canada, and then in...
, who also designed Little Trinity Anglican Church
Little Trinity Anglican Church
Little Trinity Anglican Church, formally Trinity East, is a parish of the Anglican Church of Canada located at 425 King Street East in the Corktown neighbourhood just east of downtown Toronto, Ontario....
on King Street and St. George the Martyr Church in Toronto. The funds for its construction were a gift from Mary Lambert Swale of Settle
Settle
Settle is a small market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is served by the Settle railway station, which is located near the town centre, and Giggleswick railway station which is a mile away. It is from Leeds Bradford Airport...
, England. Swale had originally made the donation anonymously, but her name was eventually revealed. She had provided the gift with the stipulation that the church be open to the public, with no reserved pews.
The lands for the church were given by the Honourable John Simcoe Macaulay
John Simcoe Macaulay
Colonel The Hon. John Simcoe Macaulay was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada. In 1845, he donated the land on which the Church of the Holy Trinity was built.-Early Life:...
in 1845. Macaulay's cottage, 'Teraulay' was then situated on an estate named Macaulay's Fields which extended from present day Yonge
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
to Bay
Bay Street
Bay Street, originally known as Bear Street, is a major thoroughfare in Downtown Toronto. It is the centre of Toronto's Financial District and is often used by metonymy to refer to Canada's financial industry since succeeding Montreal's St. James Street in that role in the 1970s...
(then known as Teraulay) Streets, and from today's Albert Street (then known as Jeremy Street) to just south of Dundas Street. Building lots filled in the edges of the property to the north, south, and west of the Trinity site, and the central portion of the property was donated for the construction of the church. Eventually the east side of the Trinity site was sold to permit retail frontage on Yonge Street, enclosing Trinity Church, although a roadway connected Trinity to Yonge Street.
Holy Trinity was the fourth Anglican church in Toronto, after St. James' Cathedral, Little Trinity
Little Trinity Anglican Church
Little Trinity Anglican Church, formally Trinity East, is a parish of the Anglican Church of Canada located at 425 King Street East in the Corktown neighbourhood just east of downtown Toronto, Ontario....
, and St. George the Martyr Church. The church's first rector was Henry Scadding
Henry Scadding
Henry Scadding was a Canadian author and clergyman.Scadding was born in Dunkeswell, Devon, England, and migrated to Canada with his parents, John Scadding and Melicent Triggs, in 1821. He was educated at Upper Canada College and at St. John's College at Cambridge University, Cambridge, England,...
.
Location and community involvement
Located at 10 Trinity SquareTrinity Square (Toronto)
Trinity Square is a public square in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded by the Toronto Eaton Centre, an office building known as Bell Trinity Square, and the Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel. The square's primary feature is the Anglican Church of the Holy Trinity...
, the Church of the Holy Trinity is surrounded by the Toronto Eaton Centre
Toronto Eaton Centre
The Toronto Eaton Centre is a large shopping mall and office complex in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, named after the now-defunct Eaton's department store chain that once anchored it. In terms of the number of visitors, the shopping mall is Toronto's top tourist attraction, with around one...
on the north, south, and east sides, a Marriott hotel and the Ted Rogers School of Management to the northwest, and the office building known as Bell Trinity Square to the southeast. The original Eaton Centre construction plans called for the church to be demolished as well, but the parishioners successfully resisted and forced the mall's design to be changed.
Since its construction, the city of Toronto has expanded so that the church now finds itself in the middle of Toronto’s urban core. As a result, the church has tailored its ministry to the urban homeless and needy, and maintains a memorial outside the church doors which lists the names of homeless people who have died on the streets of Toronto.
The church also has an active outreach to Toronto's lesbian, gay, bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
and transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
community. Prior to acquiring its first building in 1985, the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto
Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto
The Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto is a congregation of the worldwide Metropolitan Community Church movement located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is an welcoming congregation openly affirming lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual and transgender people...
worshipped there, and the church vocally supported Anglican priest James Ferry
James Ferry
James Ferry is a priest of the Anglican Church of Canada. In 1992 he was removed from his parish after it was revealed that he was gay and in a relationship with another man....
after he was inhibited by the Anglican Church in 1991 when his sexual relationship with another man was discovered.
Holy Trinity has also become an important venue for artistic events. The church participates as a venue in Toronto's annual Nuit Blanche
Nuit Blanche
Nuit Blanche is an annual all-night or night-time arts festival. A Nuit Blanche will typically have museums, private and public art galleries, and other cultural institutions open and free of charge, with the centre of the city itself being turned into a de facto art gallery, providing space for...
, and presents a weekly series of classical, choral
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
concerts throughout the year, as well as a dramatization of the Christmas story every December since 1937. Due to the church's excellent acoustics, Canadian rock band Cowboy Junkies
Cowboy Junkies
Cowboy Junkies are a Canadian alternative country/blues/folk rock band. The group was formed in Toronto in 1985 by Margo Timmins , Michael Timmins , Peter Timmins and Alan Anton ....
recorded their 1988 breakthrough album The Trinity Session
The Trinity Session
The Trinity Session is a 1988 album by Cowboy Junkies, their second album.The music was recorded at Toronto, Ontario's Church of the Holy Trinity on , with the band circled around a single microphone...
at the church on November 27, 1987. In 2006, they returned to record a 20th anniversary edition of the album, Trinity Revisited
Trinity Revisited
Trinity Revisited is an album and a film by Cowboy Junkies, released on October 16, 2007. It is a 20th anniversary edition of their most famous album, The Trinity Session...
.
Architecture
Designed by Henry Bowyer Lane, the Church of the Holy Trinity is approximately 5 stories tall. Though the scale of the church is modest, its height is emphasized through details which point upward. In relation to human scale, the church feels big, tall, and strong. Even though it is surrounded by modern buildings, its role as a terminating vistaTerminating vista
In urban design, a terminating vista is a building or monument that stands at the end or in the middle of a road, so that when one is looking up the street the view ends with the site....
has been preserved for the pedestrian lane from Bay Street to Trinity Square and also for Hagerman Street. It is visible from Toronto City Hall
Toronto City Hall
The City Hall of Toronto, Ontario, Canada is the home of the city's municipal government and one of its most distinctive landmarks. Designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell and landscape architect Richard Strong, and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened in 1965...
's podium green roof.
The church's Gothic Revival design is evident in the materials and elements of the building. This style emphasizes verticality and light, which is achieved through the use of tall stained glass windows and twin turrets outlining the main entrance of the church. Like many Gothic churches, the Church of the Holy Trinity uses limestone for its foundation and window tracery, as well as sandstone, brick, and wood. This church follows the Gothic church characteristic of a cruciform in plan. The pointed arch is repeated throughout the whole building, present in the doors, windows, and Gothic vault. The stained glass windows are translucent and allow daylight into the church, each with its own unique design. Together, the variety of window designs speaks about the Bible and the history of the building. A unique element on the exterior of the church is the line of colourful shields under the eaves.
Mary Lambart Swale died at the age of 25 and entrusted the Toronto Diocese gave a gift of 5000 sterling to build a church. She requested that the church in the Gothic style, that the name be Holy Trinity, that the reading desk and pulpit not be placed as to obstruct the view of patrons, and that the pews were to be free for everyone forever. Along with the original gift she also gave a Font that can still be found in the church today. The Gothic style chosen for The Church of the Holy Trinity was the late medieval Tudor Style. The four pointed arch (also known as the Tudor Arch) in combination with the tall and narrow oriel windows are of Tudor style. The decorative chimney caps on most of the eleven chimneys are also in the style of Tudor architecture. The two towers flanking the west entrance of the church became a landmark of Toronto in the mid-nineteenth century and could be seen throughout the city.
There are emblems, symbols, and initials on crests under the eaves of the entire exterior, a unique feature of the church. These crests bear the initials of early rectors, the architect, and the builder. The symbols include an open book, King Soloman's head, and several other masonic symbols. A brochure can be picked up at the entrance to the church showing and explaining the crests.
See also
- Eaton CentreEaton CentreEaton Centre is a name associated with shopping malls in Canada, originating with Eaton's, one of Canada's largest department store chains at the time that these malls were developed. Eaton's partnered with development companies throughout the 1970s and 1980s to develop downtown shopping malls in...
- Eaton's AnnexEaton's AnnexLocated on Albert Street, directly behind the Eaton's Main Store and Toronto's City Hall, the Eaton's Annex was a 10-storey building containing both retail and office space...
- List of Anglican churches in Toronto
- List of oldest buildings and structures in Toronto