Description of Historic Place

St. James the Apostle Anglican Church, 86 Glasgow Street North, is situated at the southwest corner of Paisley Road and Glasgow Street, in the City of Guelph. This stone church was designed in the Anglican Ecclesiastical style by architect Richard Cunningham Windeyer. It was constructed between 1891 and 1892.

The property was designated, for its historic and architectural value, by the City of Guelph, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 1989-13198).

Heritage Value

St. James the Apostle Anglican Church was constructed in 1891, opened during Easter of 1892, and was the second Anglican parish in Guelph. The St. James parish was created by the Bishop of Niagara in 1890, and most of its earliest parishioners had previously been members of St. George's Church in Guelph. The new parish arose when the desire for religious reforms within the church became apparent. These reforms, which originated in England as early as the 1830s, included more frequent celebration of the Eucharist and changes in religious observances.

St. James the Apostle Anglican Church was the last of Guelph's stone churches constructed of locally-quarried limestone. This church was designed by architect Richard C. Windeyer, of the Toronto firm Richard Cunningham Windeyer and Son, who at the time was known as a major architect for private, public and Anglican ecclesiastical architecture. As R. C. Windeyer died before the construction of the church, the project was supervised by local builder John Day. Changes were made to the original plans, resulting in an unorthodox shape for an Anglican sanctuary, but exquisite in beauty, especially with its elaborately vaulted wooden ceiling and supports.

Sources: City of Guelph, By-law 1989-13198; Terry Crowley, St. James the Apostle Anglican Church, Guelph, Ontario, University of Guelph, 1989.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of St. James Church include its:
- wooden ceiling of the nave, chancel and sanctuary supported by arched timber trusses, springing from brackets designed in the form of hammer beams
- stained glass in the memorial windows in the nave, chancel and sanctuary
- diamond-patterned, older stained glass elsewhere in the building
- steeple
- slate roof
- small central tower
- existing chimney