IN THE MATTER OF THE ONTARIO
HERITAGE ACT
R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER O.18 AND
CITY OF TORONTO, PROVINCE OF ONTARIO
38 WALMER ROAD
NOTICE OF INTENTION TO DESIGNATE
THE PROPERTY
TAKE NOTICE that Council for the
City of Toronto intends to designate the property, including the lands, buildings
and structures thereon known municipally as 38 Walmer Road under Part IV,
Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.O.18, as amended, as a
property of cultural heritage value or interest.
Reasons for Designation
The property at 38 Walmer Road, is worthy of
designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its
cultural value and meets Regulation 9/06, the provincial criteria prescribed
for municipal designation under the categories of design/physical, historical/
associative and contextual value.
Description
The property at 38 Walmer Road, known as the
Walmer Road Baptist Church, is located in a residential section of Toronto's
Annex neighbourhood, on the northwest corner of Walmer Road and Lowther Avenue,
fronting Gwendolyn Macewen Park.
Rev. Elmore Harris, with the financial backing
of his father, Alanson Harris, of Brantford, who made his fortune in the
manufacturing of farm machinery (Massey-Harris), led the development of the
Walmer Road Baptist Church to which he would take charge upon its completion in
1889. Rev. Harris commissioned the illustrious Toronto architectural
firm of Langley and Burke to design a church with a Sunday school facilities on
the property purchased on Walmer Road and extended along Lowther Avenue. The
church complex consists of three building sections - the 1889 Queen Anne
revival- style Sunday School building, an 1892 Romanesque revival-style
Sanctuary with seating for more than 1500, and a Gothic-style 1913 Memorial
Building linking the other two sections into a building complex along Lowther
Avenue.
Several properties in close proximity to the
church have been designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act or listed
on the City's Heritage Register. Designated properties nearby include 6 Walmer
Road, the former Loretto College Building (1914) at 385-87 Brunswick
Avenue. Properties which are listed on
the Register include 21 Walmer Road, 1894 house, as well as 11, 35, and 44
Walmer Road – all mid-twentieth century apartment buildings designed by architect
Uno Prii.
City Council listed the property on the City of
Toronto's Heritage Register in 1986.
Statement of Cultural Heritage Value
Historical or Associative Value
The property possesses historical and
associative value as the home of the Walmer Road Baptist Church, an institution
with a congregation established in 1889. Since that time, it has been a place
of worship, social and educational activity for its members as well as a place
of community outreach. Originally, the Sunday school building served as the
place of worship - with a seating capacity of 600 - until 1892, when the
sanctuary was completed. With the completion of the 1892 sanctuary, and its
seating for 1540 people, the church became the largest Baptist church in
Canada. The use of the church and its functional role in the community was
significant, aligning with the times and the needs of the community. The church
was said to have the most diversified programming of a church in Canada,
aligning with the community-minded values of the founder, Rev Harris.
The church is associated with some of Toronto's
most important and prolific architectural practices – Langley and Burke for the
Sunday School and Sanctuary; and Burke, Horwood and White for the Memorial
Building section. Edmund Burke was a
leading Toronto architect for a half century designing a wide array of
residential, commercial and institutional works, while Henry Langley was the
leading architect of ecclesiastical works in Ontario in the late 1800s.
Together, they designed numerous landmark churches such as Jarvis Street
Baptist Church, Shelbourne Street Methodist Church, and Trinity Methodist
Church (1887-89). Subsequently, Burke and Horwood were responsible for some of
Toronto's most significant architectural works such as the Robert Simpson
Department Store. Later, Burke, Howood and White were associated with important
commissions across Canada such as the iconic Hudson's Bay Department stores in
Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria.
Design or Physical Value
The Sunday School building, dating from 1889, is
a unique example of Queen Anne–revival style design due to its adaptation for
an institutional use rather than the typical residential uses associated with
such design in the area. The building's
asymmetrical façade with tower, tiled gable and picturesque appearance distinguishes
the exterior of the building, while the interior is notable for its open truss
ceiling. The design of the building reinforces and compliments the predominant
architectural character of the area which is a blend of Queen Anne- and
Romanesque-style influences to create what is known as the local
"Annex" style of design.
The 1892 Sanctuary is a unique example of the
Romanesque style adapted to an ecclesiastical purpose incorporating a variety
of Gothic-style references. Characterizing the building are the contrasting
materials of brick, rough-faced stone and terra-cotta tiles. Its asymmetrical
front façade with towers features a distinctive window treatment, being deeply
set, and comprising various rounded arch windows and rows of openings. Lancet and
pointed arch windows, window tracery, buttressed walls and an elaborate and
impressive open-truss ceiling contribute to the Gothic quality. A sweeping,
horseshoe-shaped gallery further distinguishes the interior.
The 1913 Memorial Building linking the Sanctuary
and Sunday School also has value as a representative example of Gothic
revival-style design physically and visually connecting the two buildings with
understated stylistic influences. Elements of the Gothic style can be seen in
both the Sunday School and Sanctuary buildings and the employment of the
Memorial Building's Gothic style detailing to link the two structures
skillfully brings the composition together.
Contextual Value
The Walmer Road Baptist Church is functionally
and visually linked to its surroundings.
In architectural character, the Walmer Road
Baptist Church is visually linked to the community which is distinguished by
residential architecture in the "Annex style" – a combination of
Romanesque- and Queen Anne revival styles - both of which are displayed in the
subject property, visually tying the property to its surroundings.
Functionally, the property has served the
spiritual and social needs of its geographical community since 1889. Since
then, it has been a place of community outreach offering an extensive variety
of programming for the area's residents.
The property is also historically linked to its
surroundings. The development, growth, and evolution of the church reflects the
same of the community with each evolving, to a degree, in tandem. The initial
establishment of the church in 1889 reflects the early development phase of the
community. Further development of the community in terms of physical and
population growth aligns with the continued development and growth of the
church. In the twentieth century, the changing social demographics of the
community, which became more diverse, was similarly reflected in the role of
the church in the community and its evolution in programming and outreach.
The Walmer Road Baptist Church is also a
landmark in the Annex community. The substantial and distinctive character of
its architecture in combination with its prominent presence on Walmer Road and
its situation dominating Gwendolyn Macewan Park makes the property a physically
pronounced structure in the area. The building also terminates the view from
the East alignment of Lowther Avenue, prior to the street continuing around the
building. Its long and important functional role has made it a community focal
point, contributing to this landmark status.
Heritage Attributes
Design or Physical Value
The following heritage attributes contribute to
the design and physical value of the property at 38 Walmer Road and
specifically the Sunday school's Queen Anne and Romanesque revival style; the
Memorial Building's Gothic-revival style; and the Sanctuary's
Romanesque-revival style:
Sunday School Building (1889)
Exterior:
·
The form, scale and
massing of the building being three storeys and rectangular with corner tower
·
The front gable roof
with lower parapeted cross gables and flat sections; roof elements comprising
an eave bracket, open eaves with exposed rafters and wooden tongue and groove
soffits; and the tower's cornice, pyramidal roof and finial
·
The reddish-brown
brick cladding and brickwork of the facades forming buttresses and corbel
tables; terra-cotta gable shingles; and stone sills
·
The fenestration,
with pointed arch and segmental arched windows as well as a large multi-part
gable window (with leaded glazing) and multi-part tower windows with
foil-shaped sashes to mimic tracery and leaded and stained-glazing; wood-sash
windows with leaded glazing
Interior:
·
The extended height
ceiling of the gymnasium space (original sanctuary) with timber, open-truss
ceiling
·
The ornamented
cast-iron structural columns within the basement
Sanctuary Building (1892)
Exterior:
·
The form, scale and
massing of the cruciform-shaped building with lofty nave and lower sides, and
with an asymmetrical main façade arrangement comprising a tall bell tower and
lower stair tower
·
The materials of
brown, rough-faced, Credit Valley sandstone base, walls, courses and sills and
contrasting reddish-brown cladding and brickwork forming label mouldings,
buttresses, and the terra-cotta shingled clerestory
·
The steeply-sloped
front gable roof over the nave with lower cross gables over the transepts and
lower slopes roofs over the sides (aisles) and the pyramidal bell tower roof
and the conical copper-clad stair tower roof
·
The fenestration,
with a variety or pointed- and segmental-arched windows containing wooden sash,
leaded glazing, and front windows with wood tracery; ribbons of leaded-glass
clerestory windows atop the nave; the arcaded, deeply set windows and the
narrow rounded-arch and lancet openings within the towers and gables; the 1948,
stained glass Warren Family memorial window of the south elevation
·
The main entrance
with its three pointed-arch doorways each with formed brick mouldings and
reveals, panelled wood double doors, transom lights with wooden tracery of
foils and leaded and stained glass
Interior:
The following
heritage attributes have been identified as "liturgical elements":
·
The configuration
with lofty single volume nave with its raked floor and separate entrance foyer
containing two tower staircases
·
The elaborate
open-truss roof with strapwork plaster ceiling
·
The horseshoe-shaped
gallery with tiered seating, and with wood balustrades of ash and turned
balusters of birch
·
The elaborately
cast-iron columns supporting the balconies and the ceiling
·
The exposed,
pressed-red-brick walls of the sanctuary incorporating ornamental brickwork
detailing such as a dado, courses, and label mouldings
·
The raised chancel
with carved and panelled oak rood screen, pulpit,
·
The pipe organ
recesses, oak casing and façade pipes
·
metal lined baptismal
tank
·
The three-part
stained glass memorial window
·
The two fireplaces
with tiled hearth and ornamental brickwork chimneypieces
·
The bronze hanging
light fixtures and sconces with Gothic stylistic motifs
·
The oak finishes
comprising the staircase balustrades, the foyer wall assembly with wainscot
panelling, and the solid panelled and glazed doors
Memorial Building (1913)
Exterior:
·
The form, scale and
massing of the building being two-storeys with flat roof and comprising two
connected volumes wrapping around the Sunday School building
·
The reddish-brown
brick cladding and brickwork of the facades forming buttresses, a crenelated parapet
and arched doorway reveals; smoothly-dressed sandstone finishes comprising
label mouldings, coping, lintels and sills
·
The fenestration with
pointed-arch and flat-headed windows; the leaded-glass wood -sash windows
Interior:
·
The auditorium space
and its features including its stage, pointed proscenium arch with Gothic
columns, and balconies with their wood balustrades, large support brackets
Historical or Associative Value
The following heritage attributes contribute to
the cultural heritage value of the property as a place of worship, social,
educational and recreational activity for its members as well as a place of
community outreach:
·
The Sunday School,
the Sanctuary and the Memorial Building associated with the Baptist church
The following heritage
attributes contribute to the cultural heritage value of the property associated
with the prominent architects associated with the property:
·
The building
materials and Queen Anne, Romanesque and Gothic revival-style design of the
property reflecting an association with Langley and Burke architects and Burke,
Horwood and White architects
Contextual Value
The following heritage attributes contribute to
the cultural heritage value of the property as defining, supporting and
maintaining the historic character of the area and being historically, visually
linked to its setting and as a landmark in the Annex:
·
The setback,
placement and orientation of the buildings on a corner lot viewed from Walmer
Road and Lowther Avenue, with a focal-point presence fronting Gwendolyn Macewen
Park
·
The Romanesque and
Queen Anne-Revival design of the property which is visually linked the
architectural style of the Annex.
Notice of Objection to the Notice of Intention to Designate
Notice of an objection to the Notice of
Intention to Designate the Property may be served on the City Clerk, Attention:
Registrar Secretariat, City Clerk's Office, Toronto City Hall, 2nd Floor West,
100 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2N2.; Email: RegistrarCCO@toronto.ca within thirty days of July 25, 2023, which is August 24, 2023. The
notice of objection to the Notice of Intention to Designate the Property must
set out the reason(s) for the objection and all relevant facts.
Getting Additional Information:
Further information in respect of the Notice of
Intention to Designate the Property is available from the City of Toronto at:
https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.PH5.12
Dated at the City of Toronto on July 25, 2023.
John D. Elvidge
City Clerk