Christ's Church, Hamilton, Ontario, and the Changing Image of the Anglican Church – 1835-18751
ANALYSIS | ANALYSE CHRIST’S CHURCH, HAMILTON, ONTARIO, AND THE CHANGING IMAGE OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH – 1835-18751 Professor MALCOLM THURLBY, Ph.D., > MALCOLM THURLBY F.R.Hist.S., F.S.A., teaches art and architectural history at York University, Toronto. His research focuses on Romanesque and Gothic architecture and sculpture in Europe, and nineteenth- and early twentieth-century architecture in Canada. s we see it today, Christ’s Church He concurs with John Medley [1804-1892], AAnglican Cathedral, located on the Bishop of Fredericton and champion of the Gothic east side of James Street North, Hamilton, between Robert Street to the south and Revival in New Brunswick, that “some knowledge Barton Street East to the north, presents of Church Architecture ought, surely, to be a part a Gothic façade created by Toronto archi- of every liberal education.” tect Henry Langley [1836-1907] (fig. 1). Along with the façade, Langley built the three western bays of the nave (1873- 1875), which were added to the two nave eastern bays constructed between 1852 and 1854 by Toronto architect William Thomas [1799-1860]. Perhaps not sur- prisingly, Langley’s nave bays follow the design of William Thomas so as to bring a uniform appearance to the whole (fig. 2). The elaborate chancel arch and western bay of the chancel are also by Thomas, while the two eastern bays of the chancel were erected in 1924, again adopting the design principles established by Thomas (figs. 3-4). The integrated Gothic appear- ance of the church experienced today did not come about in a straightforward way.
[Show full text]