Description of Historic Place

The building at 270 King Street East, known as St. George's Cathedral (Anglican), is situated at the corner of King Street East and Johnson Street in the City of Kingston. The two-storey limestone building was designed in the Georgian style by architect Thomas Rogers and was constructed in 1825. Additions made to the building in 1839-43 and attributed to George Browne give the Cathedral its Neoclassical features.

The exterior of the building and the aesthetic elements of the property are protected by an Ontario Heritage Trust conservation easement. The property is also designated by the City of Kingston under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (Bylaw 8497).

Heritage Value

Located at 270 King Street East, St. George's Cathedral is a prominent part of Kingston's skyline, and is a local landmark. St. George's Cathedral stands out as one of the most prominent public buildings in Kingston and is located within the Heritage Conservation District (HCD) of St. George's Cathedral Block. This HCD includes: the Cathedral, the Church Hall, Sexton's House, the Caretaker's Cottage, the Old Post Office and the Customs House. St. George's is also close to the Market Square HCD.

St. George's Cathedral is significant for its association with the development of the Anglican Church in Ontario. The cathedral has influenced the history of Kingston, as well as Ontario and Canada's ecclesiastical and political history. The cathedral was important in the development of the Anglican religion in Upper Canada, and played a role in the religious lives of many Kingstonians. St. George's is the oldest institution in Kingston. The rectorship dates to 1785, making it the oldest Anglican parish in Ontario. The parish was led by Rev. John Stuart, the Father of the Anglican Church in Upper Canada. In 1825 construction began on a limestone building to replace the small wooden church. In 1862 St. George's became a cathedral and the seat of the first Bishop of Ontario. Koñwatsi'tsiaiéñni, also known as Molly Brant, was the only woman among the 54 original founding members of St. George's parish. Molly Brant was an important Mohawk leader and a United Empire Loyalist. St. George's was connected to many other Loyalist families who settled in the area after the American Revolution. The cathedral is the resting place of Lord Sydenham, the first governor general of British North America, who was buried in a vault under the nave in 1841. St. George's Cathedral also has an enduring association with the Cadets from the Royal Military College who parade to the cathedral on the last Sunday before graduation, known as Copper Sunday. The cathedral choir, under the direction of George Nelson Maybee, was the first non-English choir to serve at London, England's Westminster Abbey.

St. George's Cathedral is significant for its grand presence on King Street and its profile in the Kingston skyline. The core structure of the cathedral was designed by Thomas Rogers in 1825. Rogers planned a classical basilica, five bays in length, with a shallow apse. He envisioned a grand portico in the Ionic order. He built a tower with a clock and a belfry. The tower was torn down a decade later due to structural problems, and the current tower (design attributed to George Browne) has pale brown Corinthian columns, and grey stone work. The front of the cathedral is built in the Tuscan order. The east and west elevations have Ionic details, such as the capitals and a dentil trimmed cornice. The Tuscan order is also dominant on the aisle bays of the facade and the mouldings around the doors and windows. In 1870 St. George's Hall was added and a dome was erected in 1891. St. George's dome has a high exterior with a second interior dome that is much lower. On New Year's Day, 1899 the interior of the cathedral was gutted by fire. The cathedral was re-constructed over 18 months by local architect Joseph Power. The interior is supported by fluted Ionic wooden columns, has wooden pews, wainscoting on the outside walls, hardwood flooring, plastered ceilings, a coffered barrel-vaulted ceiling above the nave, and a semi-hemispherical ceiling above the apse and stained glass on all widows.

Source: OHT Easement Files.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the St. George's Cathedral include its:
- prominence as a public building in the City of Kingston
- location in the St. George's Cathedral Block Heritage Conservation District
- proximity to the Market Square Heritage Conservation District
- association with the first Anglican parish in Ontario
- connection to Rev. John Stuart
- affiliation with the Anglican Diocese of Ontario
- connection to Molly Brant
- association with Lord Sydenham
- relationship with the Royal Military College
- slate roof
- copper flashing and downspouts
- limestone masonry
- pedimented portico
- octagonal cupola with four clocks
- dome
- Tuscan columns
- cornice decorated with dentils
- quoins with radiating voussoirs
- interior features
- wood columns
- hardwood flooring
- stained glass windows
- coffered ceiling above the nave
- wood pews
- wood wainscoting