821 Ogilvy: An early history / Un bâtiment patrimonial
Post date: Nov 05, 2016 7:18:5 AM
As construction takes place to redo the siding and renovate the interior of the building located at 821 Ogilvy, it seems like a good time to share some of the building's history. It was originally built by the congregation of St. Cuthbert's Anglican Church, and later served as a Gospel Hall and Greek community centre. Many thanks to Rev Roslyn Macgregor of St. CHL for sharing these precious photos and historical texts related to St. Cuthbert's early years.
A BIT OF ST. CUTHBERT’S HISTORY
by Josephine A. Dicks, 1931. From the centennial program published in 2010.
There were not more than fifteen families in Park Avenue Extension when a temporary portable church building was erected on May 1, 1910 on King Edward Boulevard (now Querbes Avenue) near Beaumont Street.
The opening collection was $13.93, and the collection for the following Sunday was $1.27 – this was the average collection in the early days of St. Cuthbert‟s. A Concert in the same year (1910) brought in $34.70. At the end of the year there was a balance in hand of $60.52.
At the opening of the Church, the Bishop promised to contribute dollar for dollar towards the building of a more permanent church, to the extent of $2,000. At the second vestry meeting a Building Committee was formed, for the purpose of raising funds for a new Church on the site, consisting of five lots which the Bishop had bought on Ogilvy Avenue, corner of O'Shaugnessy (now Outremont Avenue).
The new Church was started in May 1913, and completed by September 10th of the same year, but owing to the absence of the Bishop, the opening and dedication was delayed until September 24th, 1913. The stained glass window in the chancel was a gift from the children of the Sunday School. The money for the Baptismal Font was collected by the late Adeline Dicks. Also a number of things were obtained from the Church of the Ascension and some members of the congregation to help furnish the new Church.
In these days, the Church was maintained with very little expense, everyone giving freely of their time, and helping according to their ability. Miss Mabel Platt was organist. Everyone belonged to everything, and co-operated in giving the concerts, Christmas trees, picnics, etc. The concerts were always well patronized. The Church, of which the congregation was justly proud, stood in the middle of the fields, as if waiting for the houses to be built all around. One paused to wonder if it would ever be filled with regular members of the congregation.
At the Opening Service of the Church, Wednesday, September 24, 1913, the Church was filled to its capacity. (Collection $29.18).
The first wedding was on June 27, 1914, when Miss Elizabeth Brown was married to William Wilson by the Rev. F. C. Ireland, who presented the newly married couple with a Bible. On Wednesday, September 30, 1913 a meeting of the Women for the purpose of forming a Women‟s Guild was held. In 1914 Mr. Powles organized the Sunday School, and during his ministry the Sunday School teachers won the Bursary for attending the classes at the Synod Hall, an achievement of which the parish was proud. Mr. Powles also organized a Dramatic Society, which ran successfully for a number of years.
In 1915, the wardens decided to ask the Bishop for a resident incumbent, and so in June of 1915, the Rev. W. J. Farr was appointed the first resident minister. At the first meeting to greet the newly appointed clergyman, only two ladies were present at the weekly meeting of the Guild. The Rev. Farr was followed by The Rev. Baugh, the Rev. Wright and the Rev. Laws.
In 1925, the Rev. A.G. Howard succeeded the Rev. Laws as Incumbent. In the same year, the church was enlarged to its present size, and other improvements added. Six years later, on February, 1931, the parish ceased to be a “Mission” and now became self-supporting.
Another indication notable historical record is that of the streetcar service. Up to 1916, residents of the district had to walk to Van Horne to obtain a streetcar. Going eastward toward St. Lawrence Boulevard they had to climb the fence and trespass on railway property, or else go south as far a Beaubien Street to cross the railway. In 1916 the streetcar service was extended as far north as Atlantic Avenue, that is, to the C.P.R. tracks. It was the Amherst car which first came up to the tracks. A few years later this was changed to the Bleury service. In 1920, a stub-line service was inaugurated from Beaubien to Blair Avenue; and many are the residents who remember the community gatherings every evening in Parnell‟s corner store as they crossed the tracks and waited there for the “Toonerville” to come along.
This was still an area of wooden sidewalks and macadam roads. And many were the sad tales in spring and fall of daintily dressed dames who stepped on the loose plank and ruined a brand new Easter outfit. Many also were the planks that disappeared from the sidewalk in early fall, when nights were growing chilly and coal was still a costly luxury. A few years later came the cement block sidewalks that many of the streets still have. Then the pavements in asphalt, the subways, the new railway station, and we are into the realm of recent history, which most even the newcomers remember.
Dès la fin du XVIIIe siècle, les premiers services religieux anglicans au Canada se déroulent dans des églises catholiques. Anglicans et catholiques se partagent alors l’occupation du lieu de culte en fonction d’un horaire alternatif établi selon la division linguistique de la colonie. Ce n’est qu’au milieu du XIXe siècle qu’on voit apparaître les premières églises spécifiquement construites pour le culte anglican.
À la fin du XIXe siècle, on retrouve déjà un grand nombre d’églises anglicanes à Montréal. Parmi celles-ci, notons la cathédrale Christ Church, 635 Sainte-Catherine Ouest (1856-1859), l’église Saint-James The Apostle, 1439 Sainte-Catherine Ouest (1864), l’église Saint-George, 1101 Stanley (1869-1870), et l’église Saint-John The Evangelist, 137 du Président-Kennedy (1877-1878). L’accroissement des fidèles et le développement de la ville commandent toutefois la création de nouvelles paroisses, dont celle de St. Cuthbert's.
La plupart des églises anglicanes construites à la fin du XIXe et ce jusqu'au milieu du XXe siècle conservent la tradition britannique et sont de style néo-gothique. De petit gabarit, elles sont habituellement en brique et relativement sobres à l’extérieur. L’aménagement intérieur des lieux de cultes anglicans se démarque également par un certain dépouillement et le décor est habituellement en bois.
Fondée en 1910, la mission St. Cuthbert’s fait ériger en 1913 une église en bois qu’elle occupe jusqu’en 1948 pour les besoins du culte. Cette communauté existe jusqu’en 1989 (aujourd’hui elle est fusionnée avec la communauté St. Cuthbert, St. Hilda, St. Luke).
L'église est agrandie en 1925 selon les plans de l’architecte Philip J. Turner*. Cette église est caractéristique des églises anglicanes. Elle est la plus ancienne église construite dans ce secteur en plus d’être la première église attribuée à cet architecte. Comme la plupart des édifices religieux conçus durant la première partie du XXe siècle à Montréal, cette église est d’esprit néo-gothique. Elle conserve toujours la majorité de ses caractéristiques d’origine. Elle possède une haute toiture à versants, ses ouvertures sont surmontées d’un arc en ogive et des contreforts décoratifs utilisés sur les murs latéraux. Tous ces éléments ont été conservés. La modification de l’usage au début des années 1980 a nécessité des rénovations mineures qui demeurent peu perceptibles de l’extérieur. Ce bâtiment est mis en valeur par l’aménagement du parc Outremont / Ogilvy qui offre une perspective intéressante sur l’édifice. De plus, il est l’un des premiers bâtiments construits le long de l’avenue Ogilvy. Il est donc un témoin précieux du fondement même de cette avenue.
* Philip John Turner (architecte)
Philip John Turner (1876-1943) est né en Angleterre. Il débute sa carrière d’architecte à Stowmarket et Ipswich en 1900. Il s’établit à Montréal en 1908 où il y pratique jusqu’en 1943. À partir de 1909, il enseigne le cours de construction à l’université McGill. Il travaille entre 1913 et 1915 en partenariat avec William Edward Carless (1881-1949). Au cours de sa pratique privée, il est amené à travailler sur certains projets avec Samuel H. Maw (1881-1952) et Alfred Dennis Thacker (1879-1938). On lui connaît quelques œuvres à Ipswich en Angleterre. Il œuvre notamment dans le domaine résidentiel en plus d’ériger quelques banques. Il signe les plans de trois églises pour la communauté anglicane de Montréal dont St. Saviour’s Mission, 5845 Upper Lachine (1928), St. Cuthbert, St. Hilda, St. Luke, 634 de Lorimier (1929) et St. Philip, 25 Brock (1929).
Autres occupants marquants
Park Avenue Extension Social & Recreation Club
(propriétaire de 1950 à 1978)
L’église anglicane est achetée en 1950 par le Park Avenue Extension Social & Recreation Club. Le nom de Ogilvy Gospel Hall est donné à l’édifice.
Ville de Montréal
(propriétaire de 1979 à aujourd'hui)
La Ville de Montréal acquiert cet édifice pour en faire un centre communautaire pour la Communauté Hellénique de Montréal. Le centre Ogilvy est inauguré le 15 mai 1984 suite aux rénovations.
Communauté Hellénique de Montréal
(locataire de 1981 à aujourd'hui)
Locataire depuis 1981, la Communauté Hellénique de Montréal loue le rez-de-chaussée du bâtiment à des fins communautaires et de loisirs.
Transformations majeures :
Travaux 1
Date des travaux : 1925
Fin des travaux : 1925
Modification à la volumétrie horizontale du bâtiment.
Agrandissement
Travaux 2
Date des travaux : 1984
Fin des travaux : 1984
Restauration ou recyclage du bâtiment.
Rénovation extérieure et réaménagement intérieur.
Travaux 3
Date des travaux : 2016
Fin des travaux : prévu 2017
Restauration du bâtiment
Réfection du parement et aménagements intérieur.
From the Canadian Churchman, October 25th, 1934
"The parish is situated in a residential district in the north of the city. The first church, a wooden building, was opened by Bishop Farthing, May 1st, 1910. the second, dedicated three years later on September 24th, 1913, was further enlarged in 1925. Purchase of a site for a permanent church, comprising seven lots, was made in 1931.
The "coming of age‟ of the parish in 1931 was observed by the parish becoming self-supporting. Next year, 1935, will be observed as "Silver Jubilee Year.‟ Other important dates in the history of St. Cuthbert‟s: June, 1912, Rev. F.C. Ireland, B.A., appointed Bishop‟s Missionary; June, 1914, Rev. P.S.C. Powles, appointed incumbent; June, 1915, Rev. W.J. Farr, appointed incumbent; May, 1918, Rev. J. Irving appointed incumbent; May, 1919, Rev. C.W.P. Baugh, appointed incumbent; June 1920, Rev.G. Wright, appointed incumbent; January, 1922, Rev. H.S. Laws, M.A., appointed incumbent; December 1923, mortgage on the Church paid off, extension to church completed; February 1st, 1931, Rev. A.G. Howard, appointed first rector."
From the Bishop's Letter (Bishop John Farthing), dated February 2, 1938.
"I find that St. Cuthbert's has been formally set aside as a Parish and its limits defined by a Decree issued on the second day of March 1931. The limits are on the north side of McEachran Avenue (formerly Allan Avenue) on the west side and running east along the centre of Cremazie Boulevard to the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks thence on the east side running south along the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks to Atlantic Avenue then on the south side west along Atlantic Avenue to a point where Atlantic Avenue would meet with McEachran Avenue where the former continued sufficiently west and the latter sufficiently far south to join thence running north along the eastern boundary of the Town of Mount Royal viz., the centre of the aforesaid McEachran Avenue to the junction of that line and Cremazie Boulevard. This was passed in the Synod of 1931 and the Parish is therefore now duly constituted and is in a position to receive the Deeds of its own Parish and I must transfer a number of these Rectories because I am limited in the value of land that I can as "Corporation Sale‟ hold.”
S.O.S. CALLING ALL WOMEN!
"Doesn't the following quotation move you: The war in Germany may last until 1945. That is the official prediction. Yet at this crucial period production of articles by the women of this province for the Red Cross has declined so steeply that we doubt whether we can fill anticipated demands to help our soldiers, sailors and airmen, for victims of robot bombs and for the people of newly liberated countries in Europe. Why? This is why! Because we have not enough women working in Quebec for the Red Cross. You can correct this appalling situation at your nearest Red Cross Branch. St. Cuthbert‟s Group meets on Thursday at 2.30 p.m. at the Church. Let your conscience be your guide!"
Note: In 1948 the congregation built a new church on St-Roch and Wiseman streets. It burned in April, 1975.
From The Order of Service for the Dedication of St. Cuthbert‟s, 1948
“A church is being dedicated which, when proposed, seemed a radical departure in architectural design to those who were expecting something that looked like all other churches around us. In actual fact this new church is not as untraditional as it may appear, but rather a return to a more simple expression of the religious service of the Early Christian Churches, when clergy and laity were closer to each other... The design of the church was kept as simple as possible to give expression to a congregation and its minister who were not afraid of discarding outworn styles and who believed that the church, along with other institutions of our age, has to serve the needs of the people who build it and use it today…”
From a draft of the order of service, 1948
“St. Cuthbert's reflects the twentieth century in Canada, rather than the fifteenth century in Europe.”
From "The Montreal Star,‟ Saturday, March 15, 1969 by Francis Allen
“A milestone of significance will take place at 8 p.m. next Wednesday when the right Reverend R. Kenneth Maguire, Bishop of Montreal, will conduct a service of thanksgiving to mark the burning of the mortgage of St. Cuthbert‟s Anglican Church, Park Extension. St. Cuthbert's at St. Roch Street and Wiseman Avenue was built in 1946-1947, and created something of an architectural sensation. Most conspicuous was the absence of the traditional Gothic arches. There is no long-sloping aisle leading to a high-set pulpit and choir loft. The gloom and shadow of more conservative churches had largely disappeared. A building was constructed which seemed to fit in with the styling of homes and offices erected after World War II... Incidentally an elderly couple of an income of $40 a month made the first contribution to the debt-reduction campaign of the church in 1952. The couple was eager to express gratitude for help given them by Mr. Bodger. Intervening on their behalf, he had obtained a
pension for them the previous year because one of them was almost totally blind. When their cheque arrived just before the 1951 Harvest Festival, it was retroactive to the date of application, and the husband turned over $100 to the church...”
From "Park Extension Community News‟ May 1975, Vol. 3 No. 5: “CHURCH FIRE A MYSTERY”
“Police investigating the April 23 fire which destroyed St. Cuthbert‟s Anglican Church say they don't know yet if the fire was criminally or accidentally caused but lay arson is a "possibility‟... No one was injured in the blaze which took about 90 firemen 47 minutes to put out. Police say they are still questioning witnesses, most of them
elderly folk assembled in the church basement for the weekly social lunch when the fire broke out upstairs around midday. The Wednesday Communion Service had been held at 10 a.m. Extensive damage was done to the 28 year-old structure at 900 St. Roch Street, leaving the parishioners without a church. They are holding services temporarily in the Livingstone United. The adjoining rectory was only slightly damaged...”
Update 2010:
In 1992, St. Cuthbert‟s Church and the Church of the Ascension merged with St. Hilda's Church at 6341 de Lorimier. In 1995, St. Luke's Church on Holt Avenue in Rosemount was closed. The resulting church community became the Parish of St. Cuthbert, St. Hilda and St. Luke – or St. CHL as we are fondly known.