Description of Historic Place

St. James the Apostle Anglican Church, constructed during the years 1856 to 1861, is located in Perth's downtown core at the southeast corner of Harvey Street and Drummond Street East. Built of local sandstone, this Gothic Revival church, with its pointed-arch windows, the off-set tower and spire conveys the impression of a cathedral. Next door is the one-and-a-half-storey rectory, situated to face the church and not the street. Built in 1875, it is also Gothic Revival in style, made of yellow brick and detailed with white barge-board trim.

St. James the Apostle Anglican Church and Rectory have been recognized for their heritage value by the Town of Perth, By-law number 2785.

Heritage Value

The historical value of St. James the Apostle Anglican Church lies in its association with the military beginnings of the Town of Perth. To provide for the spiritual needs of the settlement, in 1819, the Church of England appointed Rev. Michael Harris as rector, and by 1820, a plain wooden structure had been erected. It originally sat on 400 acres of land and included Inge-Va (1824) as the original rectory. In 1836, King William IV granted a Royal Charter to St. James the Apostle Church, one of a few conferred in Canada. By the 1850s, plans for a new and larger church of stone, pine, and oak were drawn up for the site.

St. James the Apostle was built with cathedral-style massing and design features, since it was believed that Perth would become the large commercial centre for the region. Conceived as a kind of garrison church, the stone structure was first conceived by William Thomas of Toronto in 1856 and built according to his plans as far as the window arches. Around 1860, these plans were abandoned and the building was completed by Thomas Fuller and Chilion Jones of Ottawa, architects of the original Centre Block of the Parliament buildings. In keeping with its image as a garrison church, the side walls were prominently buttressed for added strength and a tunnel was constructed to connect the church to the adjacent Bathurst District Court House. The stunning edifice was constructed with stone, typical of the period and area. The roof is supported by massive pine pillars, which culminate in typical gothic style arches and wooden cross members. In 1888, a spire and tower were added as a gift from Senator Peter McLaren.

The rectory was erected in 1875 to be a commodious and well-built structure. Designed by King Arnoldi, a well-known Ottawa architect, the residence was built of local yellow brick and stone in a Gothic Revival style that is sometimes referred to as Ontario cottage vernacular. It is a one-and-a-half-storey gable-end cottage, symmetrically balanced with a central door, flanked by a window on either side, with a tall pointed gable over the front door. The Church and Rectory are linked together by a stone wall along Harvey Street constructed with the same type of stone used in the two buildings, providing a common architectural theme to the property.

Sources: Heritage Perth; Katherine Ashenburg, Going to Town: Architectural Walking Tours in Southern Ontario. (Toronto, Macfarlane Walter and Ross, 1996); Town of Perth, Heritage Files.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that define the heritage value St. James the Apostle Anglican Church include the:
- sandstone construction, quarried near Brooke
- buttresses, pointed window arches, trefoils and moulded label surrounds, typical of the Gothic Revival style
- fine detailed stained glass windows
- massive oak doors at the entrance of the building
- interior wooden archway of pine pillars each made from single tree trunks
- dowelled and interlocked roof supports, constructed without the use of nails
- associated design elements and construction details of renowned architects William Thomas (original), Thomas Fuller and Chilion Jones
- stone wall abutting Harvey Street securing the relationship between church and rectory
- tunnel connection to the adjacent Bathurst District Court House, 43 Drummond Street East
- orientation to Perth's downtown and proximity to other heritage buildings.

Character defining elements that define the heritage value St. James the Apostle Rectory include the:
- construction of local yellow brick featuring unique brick patterns surrounding the windows and the stone basement
- verandah roof supported by geometric-pattern grille design
- steeply pitched front gable, with sculptured bargeboard culminating with a downward flowing finial, forming a carved teardrop pendant
- unusually wide front entrance, with side-lights and transom
- associated design elements and construction details of King Arnoldi, renowned Ottawa architect
- stone wall abutting Harvey Street securing the relationship between church and rectory
- tunnel connection to the adjacent Bathurst District Court House, 43 Drummond Street East
- orientation to Perth's downtown and proximity to other heritage buildings.