Intention to Designate 252 Caroline Street South, Hamilton (Central Presbyterian Church)

Description of Property

The 0.32-hectare property municipally addressed as 252 Caroline Street South is comprised of a one-storey brick church constructed in 1908. The property is also comprised of an attached two-storey brick Sunday School building, municipally addressed as 165 Charlton Avenue West, constructed in 1908 and modified in 1960. The property is located on the southwest corner of the intersection of Caroline Street South and Charlton Avenue West, in the historic Durand Neighbourhood, in the City of Hamilton.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

The 1908 one-storey brick structure located at 252 Caroline Street South has design value as a representative example of a place of worship influenced by the Beaux-Arts and Colonial Revival styles, and as an early example of a Colonial Revival building in Ontario. The property also displays a high degree of craftsmanship through its elaborate steeple, carved stone decorations and eclectic classical elements, including the portico with pediment supported by Ionic columns and carved stone head. 

The historical value of the property lies in its association with the historic Central Presbyterian Church, which has had a presence in Hamilton since 1841. It is also associated with prominent Canadian architect John McIntosh Lyle (1872-1945), the subject property being both one of his first designs and one of the buildings which introduced the Colonial Revival style to Canada. Raised in Hamilton and educated at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts of Paris, Lyle championed the idea of a uniquely Canadian style of architecture. Other Hamilton properties designed by Lyle include Gateside at 135 Aberdeen Avenue (1905), the Gage Park Fountain (1926), Wynnstay at 437 Wilson Street East, Ancaster (1926), and the York Street High Level Bridge (1927). 

Contextually, this property is important in defining the historic character of the historic Durand Neighbourhood. It is historically and visually linked to its surroundings, being on its original location within a sympathetic residential streetscape. As a large and highly visible structure in a distinctive architectural style, this property is considered a local
landmark.