Little Trinity Anglican Church (officially Trinity East)
is a
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
of the
Anglican Church of Canada. It is located at 425
King Street East in the
Corktown neighbourhood, just east of
downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the main central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located entirely within the district of Old Toronto, it is approximately 16.6 square kilometres in area, bounded by Bloor Street to the northeast and Dupont Str ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
, Canada. An
Ontario Heritage Trust
The Ontario Heritage Trust (french: link=no, Fiducie du patrimoine ontarien) is a non-profit agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. It is responsible for protecting, preserving and promoting the built, natural and cultural herita ...
plaque at the site notes that the 1844 church is the oldest surviving church in the city.
History
The cornerstone for the
Gothic Revival church was laid on July 20, 1843, and the first services were held in February 1844, making it the oldest surviving church building in Toronto. It was the second Anglican church in the city, after
St. James' Cathedral. The church is so named to distinguish it from the later
Church of the Holy Trinity.
The architect was 25-year-old
Henry Bowyer Lane, who had recently immigrated from England. The structure is red brick with accents of tan brick and stone. Local craftsmen donated many of the bricks and their labor to construct the church. The square bell tower has contrasting octagonal buttresses at each of its four corners.
The congregation was established in eastern Toronto on July 12, 1842, for working-class families unable to pay the high pew prices at St. James', and so they built a church for all people. Little Trinity has always been a church whose life is rooted in the word of God, the Holy Bible – it is an
Evangelical Anglican
Evangelical Anglicanism or evangelical Episcopalianism is a tradition or church party within Anglicanism that shares affinity with broader evangelicalism. Evangelical Anglicans share with other evangelicals the attributes of "conversionism, a ...
church. For about 100 years, from the 1890s, the motto of the church was "holding forth the word of life" (Phillipians 2:14).
In 1889, the church was enlarged to provide 600 seats for the congregation. Part of the addition was destroyed by fire in early 1961. After 14-months of reconstruction, the congregation returned in March 1962. During this renovation, the floor of the nave was raised to allow for construction of an activity hall on the lower level.
Little Trinity has sent dozens of church members overseas to serve the development and spiritual needs of nations around the world.
In 2014, a new office space was opened at 403 King Street East, in a revitalized heritage building. The present multi-generational congregation is made up of members of many backgrounds from across the Toronto region. There is a Sunday School programme and a youth programme. Each week, worship services are held on Sunday morning and Sunday evening.
Gallery
File:Little Trinity Anglican Church.jpg, Front of the church
File:Little Trinity.jpg, The bell tower
File:Little Trinity Rectory Toronto Ontario Canada.jpg, The rectory
See also
*
List of oldest buildings and structures in Toronto
This is a list of the oldest buildings and structures in Toronto, that were constructed before 1920. The history of Toronto dates back to Indigenous settlements in the region approximately 12,000 years ago. However, the oldest standing structures ...
*
List of Anglican churches in Toronto
There are about a hundred Anglican churches in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto is in the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, which includes the city of Toronto and much of south central Ontario. The eastern part of Toronto is part of the Y ...
References
* McHugh, Patricia. ''Toronto Architecture.'' Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1989.
External links
*
{{coord, 43, 39, 11.5, N, 79, 21, 43, W, region:CA-ON_type:landmark_scale:2500, display=title
1844 establishments in Canada
Anglican church buildings in Toronto
19th-century Anglican church buildings in Canada
Gothic Revival architecture in Toronto
Gothic Revival church buildings in Canada