L 4-1. Heritage Report: Reasons for Heritage Designation. 19 John Street Former St. Mary s Catholic Church

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1 L 4-1 Heritage Report: Reasons for Heritage Designation 19 John Street Former St. Mary s Catholic Church September

2 L 4-2 Profile of Subject Property Municipal Address 19 John Street PIN Number Roll Number Legal Description PL BR 6 LOT 58 Ward Number 3 Property Name Former St. Mary s Catholic Church Current Owner Brampton Municipal Workers Building Society Owner Concurrence No Current Zoning Commercial Current Use(s) Institutional Construction Date 1910 Notable Owners or Occupants Heritage Resources on Subject Property Relevant Council Resolutions - Church HB Additional Information - 2

3 L Current Situation The property at 19 John Street is worthy of designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act for its cultural heritage value or interest. The property meets the criteria for designation prescribed by the Province of Ontario under Ontario Heritage Act, Regulation 9/06 for the categories of design/physical value, historical/associative value, and contextual value. 2. Description of Property The former St. Mary s Catholic Church at 19 John Street is located on the south side of John Street east of Main Street South. The principle structure is a one-and-a-half storey vernacular masonry church. The layout of the principle structure is a simple rectangular shape. The structure has a front-gable asphalt roof with stepped roofline. A modest parking lot is located to the west of the principle structure. The streetscape is lined with mature trees and late 19 th to early 20 th century houses. 3. Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest Design/Physical Value: The cultural heritage value of the former St. Mary s Catholic Church at 19 John Street is related to its design or physical value as a vernacular place of worship of modest scale and design. The simple masonry structure of the church is distinguished by a front gable roof that is bellcast at the eaves. On the façade, the roofline is stepped and features a large pointed arched window. A large pointed arched window is also found on the rear elevation, and both feature brick voussoirs. The side elevations are six-bays separated by buttresses. Each bay features paired 1/1 windows with concrete sills. A notable feature of the church is the date stone indicating 1909 as the construction date. Historical/Associative Value: The former St. Mary s Catholic Church is associated with the resiliency of early residents, as well as the evolution and growth of the Catholic religion in Brampton. It is also associated with prominent residents John Lynch and Reverend Cyril Sullivan. The long history of the Roman Catholic religion in Brampton started with meetings in John Lynch s home where one of the priests would come from St. Paul s in York to minster. Lynch was a prosperous businessman and farmer. He was the area s chief realtor, and as a lawyer specializing in real estate, he was involved in the legal affairs of 3

4 L 4-4 many residents in Chinguacousy Township. John Lynch was a loyalist from Vermont, and was involved in the Township s council before becoming the Village of Brampton s first Reeve in Lynch was instrumental in the growth of the Catholic Church in Brampton. Not only were meetings held in his home, he eventually donated land two blocks south of Queen Street East for the first church to be built, as well as a burial ground (now the St. Mary s Cemetery). This first church, called the Guardian Angel s Church, was blessed on February 12, It had had no resident priest; instead priests would visit from nearby congregations over the church s 13 years of existence. The structure was destroyed by fire in July Its fate is tied to religious tensions in Canada, and arson was suspected in the church s demise. The insurance for this structure had expired, leading the congregation to raise funds to rebuild. The resilient congregation continued meeting in a large room above a local store, and later in the Chisholm s Concert hall. The Old John Street Presbyterian Church (a new structure had been built on Church Street) was subsequently bought and renovated by the Roman Catholic Church. This building was rededicated on February 21, The Catholic congregation remained there until 1910 when St. Mary s Church was built at 19 John Street. The church was constructed under the guidance and direction of Father Egan. On Wednesday November 3, 1909 the cornerstone of the new church was blessed by Reverend John Hand, as delegated by the Most Reverend Fergus Patrick McEvay, Archbishop of Toronto in the presence of a large number of citizens. The church was opened and blessed by Archbishop McEvay on February 20, The first resident Roman Catholic priest in Brampton, Reverend J.T. Egan, was appointed in He lived over a barbershop on Queen Street for two years until the rectory was built at 23 John Street. He was later succeeded by Fr. J. Coleman in 1937, and by Fr. T. McCabe in The former St. Mary s Catholic Church is associated with Reverend Cyril Sullivan, who was appointed to St. Mary s in 1946 and served the parish for 26 years in a period of rapid growth and expansion of the church. Sullivan is also credited with starting the Brampton Catholic School board. A supporter of religious education, he brought together 300 parishioners to start the board. Sullivan s contribution to the community is recognized through the naming of a school and the local Knights of Columbus council in his honour. One of the parish s most notable undertakings was the building of the new St. Mary s Church on Main Street South in 1964, which replaced the John Street building. 4

5 L 4-5 The church at 19 John Street was later used as a meeting hall for the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal benefit society. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto recently sold the property to the Brampton Municipal Workers Building Society. Contextual Value: The former St. Mary s Catholic Church also holds contextual value as it maintains, defines and contributes to the late 19 th and early 20 th century character of John Street. Located across from a modern high-rise, the church is highly significant as a surviving vestige of Brampton s modest beginnings. The church and John Street are located in a potential Heritage Conservation District as identified in an HCD Feasibility study lead by George Robb Architect. It is located within the Four Corners neighbourhood, the civic, religious and commercial heart of Old Brampton. The church is within close proximity to other listed and designated heritage sites, including St. Paul s United Church, The Boyle House, and First Baptist Church. 4. Description of Heritage Attributes Unless otherwise indicated, the reasons for designation apply generally to all exterior elevations, facades, foundation, roof and roof trim, all doors, windows, other structural openings and associated trim, all architectural detailing, construction materials of wood, stone, brick, plaster parging, metal and glazing and related building techniques, fencing, all trees, shrubs, hedgerows, other vegetation and the grounds and vistas generally. To ensure that the cultural heritage value of the former St. Mary s Catholic Church is conserved, certain heritage attributes that contribute to its value have been identified specifically and they include: Red brick exterior, laid in common bond pattern Front gable roof with bellcast eaves and stepped roofline on facade Cornerstone indicating 1909 as date of construction Pointed arch window with voussoirs on the façade and rear elevation Six-bay side elevations Buttresses Paired 1/1 windows with storm windows and concrete sills Wood soffits Two chimneys Located within the historic Four Corners - the civic, religious and commercial heart of Old Brampton 5

6 L Alteration History and Heritage Integrity The following are the known alterations to the subject property: Front doors have been changed Vents installed Additional entry porch 6. Archaeological Potential The subject property has no known archaeological value. 7. Policy Framework In the context of land use planning, the Province of Ontario has declared that the wise use and management of Ontario s cultural heritage resources is a key provincial interest. A set of Provincial Policy Statements (PPS) provides planning policy direction on matters of provincial interest in Ontario. These statements set the policy framework for regulating the development and use of land. The relevant heritage policy statement is PPS 2.6.1, which states that significant built heritage resources and significant cultural heritage landscapes shall be conserved. PPS is tied to Section 3 of the Ontario Planning Act, which stipulates that land use planning decisions by municipalities shall be consistent with the Provincial Policy Statements. The policy is also integrated with the Ontario Heritage Act. This piece of legislation grants municipalities powers to preserve locally significant cultural heritage resources through heritage designation. Decisions as to whether a property should be designated heritage or not is based solely on its inherent cultural heritage value or interest. City Council prefers to designate heritage properties with the support of property owners. However, Council will designate a property proactively, without the concurrence of a property owner as required. These principles are reflected in Brampton s Official Plan. The relevant policies are as follows: Section : All significant heritage resources shall be designated as being of cultural heritage value or interest in accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act to help ensure effective protection and their continuing maintenance, conservation and restoration. 6

7 L 4-7 Section : Priority will be given to designating all heritage cemeteries and all Class A heritage resources in the Cultural Heritage Resources Register under the Ontario Heritage Act. Section : The City will give immediate consideration to the designation of any heritage resource under the Ontario Heritage Act if that resource is threatened with demolition, significant alterations or other potentially adverse impacts. In 2013, the City of Brampton released a new Strategic Plan to guide the evolution, growth and development of the city over the next two decades. Heritage preservation is one of the strategic priorities of this new Strategic Plan. These principles are also guided by recognized best practices in the field of heritage conservation. 8. Resources Brampton, Land Registry Records. Lt 58, PL BR6; Brampton. Bull, Wm. Perkins, From Macdonell to McGuigan: The History of the Growth of the Roman Catholic Church in Upper Canada, Toronto: The Perkins Bull Foundation, 1939.p Charters, C.V. Brampton s 100 th Anniversary as an Incorporated Town: Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. Our Story, Our Tradition, Our Journey: George Robb Architect Team. Heritage Conservation District Feasibility Study for Establishment of Heritage Conservation Districts in Downtown Brampton Heritage Resource Centre, University of Waterloo. Loverseed, Helga V. Brampton: An Illustrated History. Burlington, St. Mary s Roman Catholic Church. Program from Service at St. Mary s Cemetery, May 27, 1990: The Brampton Times. The Burning of the Catholic Church. July,

8 L 4-8 Unterman McPhail and Associates, Summary of Historical Associations Field Sheet 9. Appendix Map 1: Location of former St. Mary s Church on John Street, east of Main Street South (Source: City of Brampton) 8

9 L 4-9 Figure 1: Front façade of 19 John Street showing front gable roof, bellcast at eaves, stepped roofline, and pointed arched window Figure 2: West elevation of 19 John Street showing six-bay length, buttresses, and chimneys 9

10 L 4-10 Figure 3: East elevation of 19 John Street Figure 4: Rear elevation featuring pointed arched window with brick voussoirs 10

11 L 4-11 Figure 5: Original red brick masonry construction in a common bond pattern Figure 6: John Street streetscape facing west 11

12 L 4-12 Figure 7: John Streett streetscape e facing east Figure 8: John Lynch h (Our Story, Our Traditio on, Our Journ rney) 12

13 L 4-13 Figure 9: Page 1 - The Brampton Times. The Burning of the Catholic Church. July, (Source: Peel Art Gallery, Museum + Archives) 13

14 L 4-14 Figure 10: Page 2 - The Brampton Times. The Burning of the Catholic Church. July, (Source: Peel Art Gallery, Museum + Archives) 14

L 7-1. Heritage Report: Reasons for Heritage Designation Hurontario Street Former Snelgrove Baptist Church

L 7-1. Heritage Report: Reasons for Heritage Designation Hurontario Street Former Snelgrove Baptist Church L 7-1 Heritage Report: Reasons for Heritage Designation 12061 Hurontario Street Former Snelgrove Baptist Church January 2014 L 7-2 Profile of Subject Property Municipal Address 12061 Hurontario Street