 Knox
Church, Spadina Avenue, 1909
A Brief
History of Knox (Dr. Ian Rennie)
Knox Church, The Early Years (Dr. William Fitch)
A Knox Church Timeline
The first church building
The Queen Street church building
The present church building
Doors Open Tour
Stained Glass Windows at Knox
 Click
here for an Adobe Acrobat
single page abbreviated version of this page
92 kb PDF
Knox Church, Spadina Avenue (1909)
630 Spadina Avenue (at Harbord)
Architect:
James Wilson Gray (died March 28, 1922; 37 years as a member of Knox; 21 years
as a member of Session, including 12 years as Clerk of Session)
Cornerstone laid: January 26, 1907
Service of Dedication: January 10, 1909
Seating Capacity: 1000+
Ministers: Dr. Alexander B. Winchester, 1906 - 1921
Dr. John Gibson Inkster, 1921 - 1939
Dr. T. Christie Innis, 1939 - 1944
Reverend Robert Barr, 1947 - 1953
Dr. William Fitch, 1955 - 1972
Dr. J. Glyn Owen, 1974 - 1986
Dr. Mariano DiGangi, 1987 - 1992
Dr. John A. Vissers, 1995 - 1999
Dr. J. Kevin Livingston, 2000 - present
An Architectural Review by
John Corcoran
edited by Gerry
de Koning and J Vanderhill
Around the turn of the twentieth
century, it was decided to move the location of Knox Church. Land was purchased
on ‘Spadina’ Avenue for $32,000 in 1906. ‘Spadina’ is an Indian word for a
hill or escarpment. A new school house was built in yellow brick – at the
back of the sanctuary. James Wilson Gray – an architect in the Knox
Congregation designed the new church and in 1907 the corner stone was laid
by another member of the congregation,
His Honour William Mortimer Clark, who became the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
in 1903.
The Reverend A. B. Winchester was the minister at this time; the Winchester
Room is thus named after him. Rev. Winchester's son – Lieutenant Murray Winchester
– was killed in action in 1917 at Vimy Ridge in France during World War I
and the baptismal font was dedicated in his memory. In 1925 there was a split
in the Presbyterian Church of Canada. Some joined the United Church of Canada
while this church and others continued as the Presbyterian Church. Rev. John
Gibson Inkster was the minister at that time. In 1961 the Knox Fellowship
Centre was added to the Church and Schoolhouse. In 1974 the church was renovated
and the pulpit restored to its original position.
Knox Church Spadina, August 26, 1956
Photograph by James Victor Salmon, 1911-1958
A History of the architectural styles
of the Knox Church Building
This building was designed by James Wilson
Gray – a member of the congregation – and it opened on January 10, 1909. A
stained glass window is dedicated to Mr. Gray. The
style in which the church was built as a combination of what is called Romanesque
Revival and Gothic Revival.
Romanesque Revival was practiced between about 1890 and 1910.
Examples of this style are Old City Hall which opened in 1899, the Ontario
Legislative Building at Queen's Park, and University College in the University
of Toronto.
Gothic Revival was practiced between about 1830 and 1890. Examples
of this style are the British Parliament Buildings of 1836, the Canadian Parliament
Buildings in Ottawa of 1859 and 1917, and St. James Cathedral of 1853 at Church
and King Streets.
Romanesque Revival is an adaptation of Romanesque
architecture that was built mainly in France between 650 and 1200 A.D. The
Roman Empire had collapsed in Europe 300 years earlier. Conquering tribes
had settled and they had been converted to Christianity. Under kings such
as Charlemagne monasteries and cathedrals were built as spiritual and intellectual
centres offering help and refuge to the poor. Note the heavy solid-looking
stone buildings, steep roofs, small-arched windows, irregular roof lines,
and bell tower. The three-door entrance was developed at this time as a symbol
for the Trinity. Carvings of leaves and plants were used as decoration.
Slowly from about 1100 to 1600 Romanesque changed to Gothic.
(1100 is about the time the Normans invaded Britain.) This also began in France
and spread to Germany, Britain, the Low Countries, and Italy. The pointed
arch was invented. Less stone is needed in wall
construction and this enabled larger windows to
be used. Stained glass windows with Biblical scenes were used. Buttresses
and gargoyles were seen on the building exteriors. High, vaulted ceilings
were used. A cross-shaped floor plan was used, though in actual proportion,
the sanctuary seems wider than it is long.
There are also elements that stem from the Reformation. In 1517
Martin Luther in Germany began the Reformation which was the restoration of
the Church, which at that time was corrupted by medieval teachings and practices,
to its early purity in doctrine and discipline. The truth of the Bible was
stressed. From that time the protestant architecture became less ornate and
the Bible lecture and pulpit for the preaching of the word was emphasized.
James Wilson Gray had always envisioned a steeple atop the bell tower, but
one was never added. Click here to see
a watercolour vision of the building by the architect himself...
The Church Interior
The church seats about 1000 people and it is
cross-shaped in design. The present organ was put in after WWII, and it commemorates
those who died in both World Wars. The flags are from the Toronto Scottish
Regiment, and they were brought to Knox on three separate occasions. In 1939,
1965, and 1974, Elizabeth the Queen Mother, a colonel in the regiment, participated
in these ceremonies.
Stained class is a medium that came to the fore during the Gothic period.
Knox was regarded as having the finest stained glass windows in Toronto when
it opened. They were designed and installed by the firm Robert McCausland
Ltd. of Toronto. For more on the stained glass windows at Knox,
click here...
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