St. Anne's Anglican Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Anne's Anglican Church |
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Exterior of the church in 2009
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| Denomination | Anglican Church of Canada |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Anne |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | 1996 |
| Architect(s) | William Ford Howland |
| Style | Byzantine Revival |
| Years built | 1907–1908 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St. Anne's, Brockton |
| Deanery | Parkdale |
| Diocese | Toronto |
| Province | Ontario |
St. Anne's Anglican Church is a special historic church in the Brockton Village area of Toronto, Ontario. It's also known by names like St. Anne's, Gladstone Avenue or the Group of Seven Church.
This church was built in a unique style called Byzantine Revival. This style is not common for Anglican churches. Inside, it had beautiful murals painted by famous Canadian artists. These artists included members of the well-known Group of Seven. Their artwork showed stories from the Old and New Testaments.
Sadly, the church building was badly damaged by a fire on June 9, 2024. The inside of the church and its amazing artworks were destroyed.
History of St. Anne's Church
The very first church building for St. Anne's was built in 1862. It faced Dufferin Street in what is now the parish hall area. The church parish started in 1863. It served the small community of Brockton, which later became part of Toronto in 1884.
In 1906, a church leader named Canon Lawrence Skey decided to build a new, bigger church. This was because more and more people were joining the church. In 1907, a contest was held to pick the best design for the new church. William Ford Howland won the competition.
The new church was built in the Byzantine Revival style. St. Anne's was made from concrete and brick. It had a cross-shaped design with a large dome in the middle. This dome was about 21 meters (69 feet) high. Other cool features included two domed bell towers and arched transepts. It was the only Anglican church in Canada built in this unique Byzantine style. The church building is protected as a National Historic Site because of its importance.
The Group of Seven Murals
In 1923, Canon Lawrence Skey asked artists to create paintings for the church's interior. The project was led by J. E. H. MacDonald. He was one of the founding members of the famous Group of Seven.
MacDonald brought together other Canadian artists for this project. These included fellow Group of Seven members Frederick Varley and Franklin Carmichael. Other artists like Thoreau MacDonald and Neil Mackechnie also helped. Together, they created more than a dozen large murals and paintings. Sculptors Frances Loring and Florence Wyle also contributed. They made special medallions and carvings of the four apostles.
The 2024 Fire
On the morning of June 9, 2024, a fire started in the church building. This happened around 8:00 a.m. The fire was very big, needing four alarms for firefighters to control it. They managed to put out most of the fire by 9:30 a.m.
During the fire, the large central dome of the church collapsed. Luckily, no one was hurt. However, the church building and all its precious artworks inside were completely destroyed by the fire.
Images for kids
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Exterior of the church in 2009
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The painted ceiling, showing stars, inside the dome of the Byzantine-style St. Anne's Anglican church.
