Description of Historic Place

Saint Paul's Anglican Church and Rectory is located at 227 Church Street in the Town of Newmarket. It was constructed in 1883-1884 to replace the original church, which was built in 1834.

Saint Paul's Anglican Church and Rectory was designated, for its historical and architectural significance, by the Town of Newmarket under By-law 2007-112.

Heritage Value

Saint Paul's Anglican Church was constructed in 1883-1884. The church replaced the first St. Paul's church, which was built in 1834 and was one of the first Church of England parishes in York County. It was served by missionaries in the early 19th century. Most of the old church was demolished in 1883 and sold for $70.00; one wing was retained and used as a parish hall until it was demolished in 1929 and replaced by a new wing.

Saint Paul's Anglican Church and Rectory were designed by Marshall B. Aylesworth, a Canadian born and Toronto based architect, whose projects included churches in Aurora, Markdale, Almonte, and Owen Sound. The church and adjacent rectory complement one another with features identified with gothic revival design, a style favoured for both residential and ecclesiastical buildings during the late 1800s.

This single storey church is constructed of brick, wood and stone. The building is faced with courses of grey rock-faced limestone, which was taken from the Lake Couchiching area. The brick is from the Stickwood Brickyard, once located on Srigley Street, in Newmarket. The building rests on a stone rubble foundation and features a rectangular floor plan and a steep gable roof. A square tower houses the entrance on the south elevation.

The original entrance was located on D'Arcy Street (south elevation) in the three storey off-centre bell tower. The main entrance was relocated to the west elevation (Church Street) when the building was extended, in 1958, with a complementary stone clad, single storey narthex. The tower is completed with crenulated edging. The tower bell was donated to the original church by Lady Franklin. It was used for many years to signal fires and now continues to be used at most services including weddings and funerals.

Both the north and south elevations of the building contain three bays that are divided by buttresses with smooth weathering. Each bay features three arched stained glass windows that are framed with arched stone voussoirs and a lug sill. Many memorial windows were designed and installed by the important Toronto firm of Robert McCausland, including those dedicated to Joseph Cawthra, an early Newmarket storekeeper and relative of Sir William Mulock. Some of the memorial plaques and some of the furniture are from the original frame church.

The main entrance located in the west elevation features a centered gable dormer that interrupts the hip roof. The dormer contains a stone cross and a double wooden door entrance. The west and east walls of the church contain three large windows with multiple mullions in the central portions. The steeply pitched gable ends contain king posts and strapwork to frame the façade.

The rectory to Saint Paul Anglican Church is a two and a half storey structure with a rectangular shaped plan, and a steep gable roof. The rectory is constructed of wood, brick and stone. It is faced with limestone, and trimmed with red brick and rests on a course stone rubble foundation. Many of the architectural features found in the church are found in the rectory as well.

Many alterations have been made to the church over the years. A Parish Hall, education wing and Chapel were constructed in the 1930s, but demolished in the 1990s, when the site was vacated for a short period of time. In 2004, Saint Paul's Church completed construction of a link between the church and the rectory, which is complementary to the original structure. Although the church has gone through several changes and additions, the main features of the church have remained untouched.

Source: Town of Newmarket By-law 2007-112.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements which illustrate the heritage value of the Saint Paul's Anglican Church and Rectory include its:
- location on Church street among other significant heritage structures
- church bell, originally used to signify fires
- memorial windows
- Stickwood brick, used to construct the church and rectory
- brick, wood and stone construction
- wooden doors
- stained glass windows
- three storey off-centre bell tower
- mock buttresses
- steep gable roof
- blind transom
- blind arch
- crenulated edging of the tower
- red brick quoins
- decorative strapwork