Beasley in Hamilton, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Christ’s Church Cathedral
1875 (begun 1852)
Photographed by Tim Boyd, January 1, 2025
1. Christ’s Church Cathedral Marker
Architect: William Thomas
Built for the Anglican Diocese of Niagara
Designated under the Ontario Heritage Act
Erected by City of Hamilton.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1875.
Location. 43° 15.788′ N, 79° 51.964′ W. Marker is in Hamilton, Ontario. It is in Beasley. It is at the intersection of James Street North and Colbourne Street, on the right when traveling north on James Street North. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 259 James Street N, Hamilton ON L8R 2L2, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe, in the Hamilton-Halton-Brant Area, and specifically in the Toronto Metropolitan Area. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Christ’s Church Cathedral / La Cathédrale de l’Eglise du Christ (a few steps from this marker); The North Drill Hall (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); John Weir Foote Armoury/ Le Manège Militaire John Weir Foote Armoury (about 150 meters away); Lieutenant Charles Davidson Dunbar, D.C.M. (about 180 meters away); The Lieutenant-Colonel John Weir Foote, VC CD Armoury (about 180 meters away); 91st Regiment Canadian Highlanders Memorial (about 180 meters away); Acting Sergeant John Rennie, G.C. 1919-1943
this page online
Also see . . .
1. Christ’s Church Cathedral (Canada’s Historic Places).
Christ's Church Cathedral is significant for its association with the development of the Anglican community in Hamilton and was built on the original site of the first Anglican Church in Hamilton. The original church was designed by Robert Charles Wetherell and was built in 1835. In 1852, the congregation looked to William Thomas (1799-1860) to make changes to Wetherell's church. The church did not have the money to execute all of the Thomas design, and much to Thomas' dismay an addition was haphazardly tacked on to the church. The awkward addition gave the church the nickname “the humpback church”.(Submitted on January 3, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)
2. Thomas, William (Dictionary of Canadian Biography).
In Hamilton, where he had opened an office by 1849, possibly in the care of his son William Tutin, Thomas began work on Christ’s Church (now the Anglican cathedral) in 1852. This was his most adventurous work structurally, calling for a stone building on a basilican plan, with a tall nave carried on piers, a decoratively(Submitted on January 3, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)treated open wooden roof, clerestory lighting, flanking aisles, and a short but distinct chancel. These features suggest that the design was an early instance in this province of the ritualistic neo-medievalism advocated in architectural design by the Ecclesiological Society in England, though Thomas was by no means doctrinaire in his designs for churches.Photographed by Tim Boyd, January 1, 20252. Christ’s Church Cathedral Marker
circa 1870
3. Christ’s Church Cathedral ca 1870
The original 1835 church with 1852 eastern addition (the “humpback” church)
Source: Hamilton Public Library
4. William Thomas, architect of Christ’s Church Cathedral
Source: Toronto Public Library
Photographed by Tim Boyd, January 1, 2025
5. Christ’s Church Cathedral, 2025
Credits. This page was last revised on January 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 3, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 101 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on January 3, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
