Little Trinity Anglican Church
Encyclopedia
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
.
The cornerstone for the Tudor Gothic
church was laid on July 20, 1843, and the first services were held February 14, 1844 making it the oldest surviving church building in Toronto. It was the second Anglican church in the city, after St. James' Cathedral. The church is so named to distinguish itself from the later Church of the Holy Trinity
. The architect was 25-year-old Henry Bower Lane who had recently immigrated from England. The structure is red brick with accents of tan brick and stone. Local craftsmen donated many of the bricks and their labor to construct the church. The 60 ft (18.3 m) square bell tower has contrasting octagonal butresses at each of its four corners.
In 1889, the church was enlarged to provide an additional 600 seats for the congregation. This addition was destroyed by fire in early 1961. After 14-months of reconstruction, the congregation returned in March 1962. During this renovation, the floor of the nave was raised 4 ft (1.2 m) to allow for construction of an activity hall on the lower level.
The congregation was established July 12, 1842 by working-class families unwilling to pay the high pew prices at St. James', prices that excluded the poor, and so they built a church for all people. Little Trinity has always been a church whose life is rooted in the word of God as presented in the Bible - it is an Evangelical
Anglican Church. Little Trinity has a long track record of sending church members overseas to serve developing nations and be a Christian presence. The present congregation is made up of members of all backgrounds from across the Toronto region. There is a strong Sunday School and youth programme whose members come from the many families that find common interests in this faith-based community.
An Ontario Heritage Trust
plaque at the site notes that the church is the oldest surviving church in the city.
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...
located at 425 King Street East in the Corktown
Corktown, Toronto
Corktown is a residential neighbourhood in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is just south of Regent Park and north of the Gardiner Expressway, between Berkeley Street to the west and the Don River to the east, Shuter Street to Lake Shore Boulevard East, this area also includes the Distillery...
neighbourhood just east of downtown Toronto, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
The cornerstone for the Tudor Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture in Canada
Gothic Revival architecture in Canada is an historically influential style, with many prominent examples. The Gothic Revival was imported to Canada from Britain and the United States in the early nineteenth century, and rose to become the most popular style for major projects throughout the late...
church was laid on July 20, 1843, and the first services were held February 14, 1844 making it the oldest surviving church building in Toronto. It was the second Anglican church in the city, after St. James' Cathedral. The church is so named to distinguish itself from the later Church of the Holy Trinity
Church of the Holy Trinity, Toronto
The Church of the Holy Trinity is an Anglican church in downtown Toronto, Canada at Trinity Square.-History:The modest Gothic Revival 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 architect was 25-year-old Henry Bower Lane who had recently immigrated from England. The structure is red brick with accents of tan brick and stone. Local craftsmen donated many of the bricks and their labor to construct the church. The 60 ft (18.3 m) square bell tower has contrasting octagonal butresses at each of its four corners.
In 1889, the church was enlarged to provide an additional 600 seats for the congregation. This addition was destroyed by fire in early 1961. After 14-months of reconstruction, the congregation returned in March 1962. During this renovation, the floor of the nave was raised 4 ft (1.2 m) to allow for construction of an activity hall on the lower level.
The congregation was established July 12, 1842 by working-class families unwilling to pay the high pew prices at St. James', prices that excluded the poor, and so they built a church for all people. Little Trinity has always been a church whose life is rooted in the word of God as presented in the Bible - it is an Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Anglican Church. Little Trinity has a long track record of sending church members overseas to serve developing nations and be a Christian presence. The present congregation is made up of members of all backgrounds from across the Toronto region. There is a strong Sunday School and youth programme whose members come from the many families that find common interests in this faith-based community.
An Ontario Heritage Trust
Ontario Heritage Trust
The Ontario Heritage Trust is a non-profit agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture, responsible for protecting, preserving and promoting the built, natural and cultural heritage of Canada's most populous province. It was initially known as the Archaeological and Historic Sites Board...
plaque at the site notes that the church is the oldest surviving church in the city.