 |
Anglican Church 5 John Street, Seaforth, Ontario Serving Anglicans in the Municipality of Huron East, Ontario |
||||
|
For 3 years before the church building was erected, services were held at Carmichael's Hotel (now Royal Apartments) in winter and in Thomas Adams' barn on Goderich Street West in the summer. Built in 1863, the frame and clapboard-sided building with tower and spire is a fine example of Carpenter's Gothic architecture. Carpenter's Gothic is a Canadian adaptation in wood of European stone architecture. The nave or central section of the church, with tower and spire, was built in 1863. The chancel, the space reserved for clergy and choir, was built in 1872. Two wings were added to the north and south sides in 1878 to provide more seating for a congregation that had grown to 121 people. The ceiling was also raised to its present height at this time. The church then had three front entrances, until 1923 when the two side ones were replaced by windows. |
|||||
|
St. Thomas Anglican Church was the first permanent place of worship built in Seaforth. A newspaper article of March 17, 1877 notes: "The Church is actually a strange mixture of Gothic and Greek Architecture. The inside of the Church was roughly finished and seating consisted of plain boards on blocks brought from Mr. Adams' bush. Much of the work was done by the men of the congregation, and the people were proud of their new Church, for at long last, their dream became a reality." Reverend C.C. Johnston was appointed the permanent Rector of St. Thomas Anglican Church in 1864, staying until 1870. In 1885, the congregation purchased, and moved, the old Methodist Episcopal Church building for use as a parish hall. A passageway was built between the two buildings in 1913. The first memorial window was installed in 1890. Over the years, the plain windows have been replaced by stained glass memorial windows. One such window, "The Resurrection Garden," commemorates the work of the women of the Ladies Guild. In 2003, St. Thomas' Anglican Church formed the Parish of the Holy Spirit with St. Paul's, Clinton and Trinity Anglican, Mitchell. The Rev'd Karine Farmer has been rector since 2008. |
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
