Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Québec in Capitale-Nationale, — Central Canada (French-Canadian)
Enclos paroissial Saint Matthew
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Saint Matthew Parish Enclosure
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 4, 2019
1. Enclos paroissial Saint Matthew / Saint Matthew Parish Enclosure Marker
L'église Saint Matthew, construite entre 1870 et 1882 selon les plans de l'architecte William Tutin Thomas, reçut son chevet plat de A. Arthur Cox en 1900. Inspiré de l'église saint Oswald de A.N. Pugin à Liverpool, en Angleterre, ce temple témoigne éloquemment de l'architecture d'esprit néo-gothique du 19e siècle à Québec. Son décor intérieur, y compris les vitraux, les boiseries et le mobilier liturgique, fut préservé lors de la transformation de l'église en bibliothèque, en 1980.
Saint Matthew's Church, built between 1870 and 1882 according to the plans of architect William Tutin Thomas, received its flat chevet from A. Arthur Cox in 1900. Inspired by A.N. Pugin's Saint Oswald's Church in Liverpool, England, this temple is an eloquent testament to the neo-Gothic architecture of the 19th century in Quebec City. Its interior decor, including the stained-glass windows, woodwork, and liturgical furniture, was preserved when the church was converted into a library in 1980.
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Location. 46° 48.655′ N, 71° 13.074′ W. Marker is in Québec, in Capitale-Nationale. It is in Saint-Jean-Baptiste. It is on Rue Saint-Jean just east of Côte Sainte-Geneviève, on the right when traveling east. The marker is mounted at eye-level on the northwest corner of the Claire Martin Library, (formerly Saint Matthew's Church), facing Rue Saint-Jean. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 755 Rue Saint-Jean, Québec G1R 1R1, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Canada. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, and the Western World. 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: Parc Saint Matthew (here, next to this marker); Cimetière Saint-Matthew / St. Matthew's Cemetery
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 4, 2019
2. Enclos paroissial Saint Matthew / Saint Matthew Parish Enclosure Marker
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. St. Matthew’s Church and Graveyard
Also see . . .
1. St. Matthew’s Church and Graveyard.
Excerpt: St. Matthew’s Church, today a city library, dates back to the 1870s. It replaced a stone chapel built in 1849 that the many Anglicans living in this part of town had outgrown. The graveyard surrounding it is older still. Opened in 1772 it boasts what is probably the province’s oldest gravestone.(Submitted on April 18, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
A stone chapel that could hold up to 500 people was inaugurated on the same site in 1849 and had to be enlarged several times to meet the needs of the growing Anglican population. Montréal architect William T. Thomas oversaw a series of major renovations between 1870 and1882, while St. Matthew’s was formally erected as a parish. He made the chancel and nave bigger, added a transept, and had a towered gatehouse with chiming clock built.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 4, 20193. Bibliothèque Claire Martin (anciennement église Saint-Matthew)Claire Martin Library (formerly Saint Matthew's Church)
Québec City’s Anglican community dwindled throughout the 20th century, to the point that in 1954 when the time came to replace the grand polychrome slate roof, parishioners opted for a more affordable copper covering. In 1979 the community was forced to ask the City of Québec to take charge of both St. Matthew’s Church and graveyard.
2. Claire Martin Library.
Excerpt: Formerly known as the Saint-Jean Baptiste Library, The Claire Martin Library was the St-Matthew’s Church, an Anglican worship place. In 1976, the building was classified as a historical monument. Three years later, in 1979, the La Ville de Québec bought it for the symbolic sum of $1 to transform it into a library. It was inaugurated in May 1980 as Bibliothèque Saint-Jean Baptiste. In November 2016, renovations were launched and finalized about 6 months later to enhance this heritage building. When it reopened(Submitted on April 18, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)in June 2017, the new name of the library honors Claire Martin memory, a female author who lived in the Saint-Jean-Baptiste district. She died in 2014 at the age of 100.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 4, 20194. Bibliothèque Claire Martin
(anciennement église Saint-Matthew)Claire Martin Library (formerly Saint Matthew's Church)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 4, 2019
5. Église Saint-Matthew – Vitrail
Saint Matthew Church – Stained Glass Window
Saint Matthew Church – Stained Glass Window
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 4, 2019
6. Cimetière et enclos paroissial Saint-Matthew
Saint Matthew Cemetery & Parish Enclosure
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 4, 2019
7. Cimetière et enclos paroissial Saint-Matthew
Saint Matthew Cemetery & Parish Enclosure
Credits. This page was last revised on April 18, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 18, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 115 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on April 18, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
