South Portage in Winnipeg, Manitoba — Canada’s Prairie Region (North America)
Holy Trinity Anglican Church / L'église anglicane Holy Trinity
Erected in 1883-1884 to the designs of Winnipeg architect Charles H. Wheeler, this picturesque limestone structure is a fine example of the High Victorian Gothic style. It displays a creative interpretation of the cruciform plan and a lively use of motifs such as dormer clerestory windows, buttresses, finials and hammer beam ceiling. The irregular outline, with attached parish hall and bell tower, recalls English parish churches. This church is the fourth to serve the parish since its incorporation in 1868. Set within a landscaped churchyard, Holy Trinity is a landmark in the heart of Winnipeg.
Cette pittoresque église en pierre calcaire, la quatrième à servir la paroisse depuis sa constitution, en 1868, offre un bel exemple du style néo-gothique de l’apogée victorien. Construite en 1883-1884 selon les plans de l'architecte Charles H. Wheeler, de Winnipeg, elle se distingue par l’originalité de son plan en croix et par l’effet décoratif produit par les lucarnes, les contreforts, les fleurons et le plafond à blochets. Ses lignes irrégulières, avec salle paroissiale et clocher attenants, rappellent les églises paroissiales anglaises. Sise dans un enclos paysager, elle constitue un point d’intérêt au cœur de Winnipeg.
Erected by Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada/Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Churches & Religion • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Historic Sites and Monuments Board series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1883.
Location. 49° 53.54′ N, 97° 8.555′ W. Marker is in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is in South Portage. Marker is on Donald Street just north of Graham Avenue, on the left when traveling south. Marker is located beside the sidewalk, near the southwest corner of the church grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 256 Smith Street, Winnipeg MB R3C 1K1, Canada. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Winnipeg Public Library System (within shouting distance of this marker); Winnipeg Centennial Library (within shouting distance of this marker); First Winnipeg Meeting of the T. Eaton Company Directors (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Royal Winnipeg Ballet / Le Royal Winnipeg Ballet (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Ella Cora Hind (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); First Masonic Temple Site (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); The Nor'Wester (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); No. 1 Northern (approx. 0.4 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winnipeg.
Regarding Holy Trinity Anglican Church / L'église anglicane Holy Trinity. Canadian Register of Historic Places (2009/03/05).
From the Canadian Register Statement of Significance:
Key exterior elements that define the building as an impressive Gothic Revival-style stone church include:
• the substantial, elongated cruciform massing on a low foundation, including the shallow porch-narthex, long nave, transepts and chancel, supplemented by a squat bell-tower-porch in the southwest corner, an octagonal broach spire and attached short round tower in the southeast corner, an organ chamber and baptistery-vestry at the east end, etc.
• the solid construction, including the stone columns, wood-trussed roof, superstructure walls of rusticated and smooth-cut Manitoba and Ohio limestone reinforced by stepped buttresses, etc.
• the lively roofline, including the nave's moderately steep gable roof with gable dormers forming a clerestory on each side, the lower cross-gable transept roofs and gabled chancel, the tall, slender conical-shaped pinnacles atop angle buttresses, the high spire and chimneys, the belfry's steep gable roof, etc.
Also see . . .
1. Holy Trinity Anglican Church.
The Holy Trinity Anglican Church first opened its doors on July 28th, 1884. Throughout the building there are twenty-six beautiful stained-glass windows, dark wooden pews, and arching hammer beam ceilings. Wheeler's design also included the details of the stained glass. The exterior design of the building features architectural details such as the dormer clerestory windows, buttresses, and a stone finial. Wheeler had initially planned for a tower with a spire, but it was never constructed. The church bell was donated in 1887 by Mrs. H. H. Smith. The bell weighed 1,556 pounds and it was decided that the first to ring the new bell would be Mrs Smith who, still holding on to the rope, was pulled up off of her feet as the bell swung.(Submitted on January 23, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Holy Trinity Anglican Church.
Holy Trinity Anglican Church is a magnificent old stone house of worship, the finest Winnipeg example of Victorian-era Gothic Revival architecture; also superb in its craftsmanship and use of local and imported materials. A downtown landmark from the outset, the building is a careful rendering of English parish church design precepts, from its basic cruciform plan to its lively, complex massing, refined exterior and impressive interior of stone, marble and stained wood and glass, all of which retain considerable integrity.(Submitted on January 23, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 23, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 70 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on January 23, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.