St Pauls Presbyterian Church
Tags:
Church,
Doors Open Hamilton 2009,
Doors Open Hamilton 2010,
Doors Open Hamilton 2013,
Durand,
Favourite Locations,
Murdoch Mysteries,
William Thomas
Architect:
William Thomas
Address: 64 James Street South
Date Built: 1857
St. Paul's Presbyterian Church was originally called St. Andrew's. The current building was erected between 1854 and 1857. It replaced the original St. Andrew's Church on the same site. In 1873 the name was changed to St. Paul's after a conflict within the congregation. The church was designed by William Thomas. The 180 foot tall stone spire is the only one of it's kind in Ontario.
St. Paul's was originally formed as St. Andrew's with a congregation of Scottish immigrants in 1830 and the current grey stone English Gothic revival church, designed by architect William Thomas, was built between 1854 and 1857 (St. Paul's, Undated).
The bells of St. Paul's have a rich history. The 160 kilogram bell hanging in the belfry of the Sunday School building was the original town bell in Hamilton and rang for the first time in 1834 (Henley, 1993). It was moved from the 180 foot stone spire to it's new home in 1906 to make way for the eleven bells weighing a total of 4488 kilograms now residing in the spire. These bells are played every Sunday morning to call the congregation in and sound quite beautiful (St. Paul's, Undated).
At the south-east corner of the church there is a large Celtic Cross - The Cross of Sacrifice. It was carved in Scotland and placed here in 1921 to commemorate those of the congregation who had fallen in battle (St. Paul's, Undated). Near Remembrance Day you will find wreaths and poppies at the base of the cross and the church holds a Service of Remembrance on the Sunday closest to November 11th each year.
St. Paul's was originally formed as St. Andrew's with a congregation of Scottish immigrants in 1830 and the current grey stone English Gothic revival church, designed by architect William Thomas, was built between 1854 and 1857 (St. Paul's, Undated).
The bells of St. Paul's have a rich history. The 160 kilogram bell hanging in the belfry of the Sunday School building was the original town bell in Hamilton and rang for the first time in 1834 (Henley, 1993). It was moved from the 180 foot stone spire to it's new home in 1906 to make way for the eleven bells weighing a total of 4488 kilograms now residing in the spire. These bells are played every Sunday morning to call the congregation in and sound quite beautiful (St. Paul's, Undated).
At the south-east corner of the church there is a large Celtic Cross - The Cross of Sacrifice. It was carved in Scotland and placed here in 1921 to commemorate those of the congregation who had fallen in battle (St. Paul's, Undated). Near Remembrance Day you will find wreaths and poppies at the base of the cross and the church holds a Service of Remembrance on the Sunday closest to November 11th each year.
Following Jackson Street to the west you will find a large tree and benches near the rear of the church, a wonderful spot to rest and engage in quiet reflection.
By: Ashleigh Patterson & Geoff Rose
Footsteps In Time Volume 1
Bill Manson
Footsteps In Time collects information about the history of Hamilton's downtown neighbourhoods, arranged in walking tours.
