The History of St. Thomas' Anglican Church, 1869 - present
St. Thomas’ Chapel is one of the oldest frame Anglican churches in the Toronto Diocese. With the sister church of St. Paul's Columbus (destroyed by fire in 1922), the history of the congregation goes back to 1835, the time of the first settlements.
In December 19th, 1869, a white board and batten church at the corner of Winchester Road and Anderson St. (now St. Thomas St.) in Brooklin was officially opened. It had been designed by an architect (unusual for a small country church), Henry Langley. Each Sunday the bell in the little church still rings out calling the community to worship at 8:30 a.m. Although the bell was originally dedicated in 1873, it had to be replaced in 1890 as it was rung too vigorously one New Year’s Eve.
With many changes through the years and an increasing population, first a portable was added as a hall and later a memorial hall. As the population of Brooklin increased in the early twenty-first century a new and modern facility that incorporates, a large church and a new hall with the older board and batten structure was added. The architect was Elizabeth Davidson, the great-granddaughter of the original 1869 church architect, Henry Langley. Sunday, November 1st, 2009, brought the new St. Thomas Anglican Church into existence with an official dedication ceremony. The little white church is now known affectionately as “The Chapel”.
There have been many changes to St. Thomas’ throughout the years both inside and out. The little white church although repaired many times was thoughtfully restored in 2015 but there are certain elements that remain. The red carpet, the lettering across the screen done by a Warden of the time, enhance the look of the new white paint and new wooden floors but “The Chapel” still has the presence of a little church that its pioneer builders built into its Anglican traditions.
St. Paul’s Cemetery, Columbus continues as a partner with St. Thomas’ Church and is looked after by a Board of Directors under Ontario legislation. There is an annual decoration service held in mid-September each year.
November, 2018 is the beginning of the 150th Celebrations of the little white church on the corner of St. Thomas St. and Winchester Ave. A detailed and storied history of St. Thomas’ Church has been written. Many contributions from the dedicated parishioners (past and present) make this a living document that shows the development of St. Thomas’ church into a vibrant community. The history “Living the Dream, a History of St. Thomas’ Anglican Church, Brooklin” is available from the office of St. Thomas’ Church for a cost of $25.00.
St. Thomas’ Chapel is one of the oldest frame Anglican churches in the Toronto Diocese. With the sister church of St. Paul's Columbus (destroyed by fire in 1922), the history of the congregation goes back to 1835, the time of the first settlements.
In December 19th, 1869, a white board and batten church at the corner of Winchester Road and Anderson St. (now St. Thomas St.) in Brooklin was officially opened. It had been designed by an architect (unusual for a small country church), Henry Langley. Each Sunday the bell in the little church still rings out calling the community to worship at 8:30 a.m. Although the bell was originally dedicated in 1873, it had to be replaced in 1890 as it was rung too vigorously one New Year’s Eve.
With many changes through the years and an increasing population, first a portable was added as a hall and later a memorial hall. As the population of Brooklin increased in the early twenty-first century a new and modern facility that incorporates, a large church and a new hall with the older board and batten structure was added. The architect was Elizabeth Davidson, the great-granddaughter of the original 1869 church architect, Henry Langley. Sunday, November 1st, 2009, brought the new St. Thomas Anglican Church into existence with an official dedication ceremony. The little white church is now known affectionately as “The Chapel”.
There have been many changes to St. Thomas’ throughout the years both inside and out. The little white church although repaired many times was thoughtfully restored in 2015 but there are certain elements that remain. The red carpet, the lettering across the screen done by a Warden of the time, enhance the look of the new white paint and new wooden floors but “The Chapel” still has the presence of a little church that its pioneer builders built into its Anglican traditions.
St. Paul’s Cemetery, Columbus continues as a partner with St. Thomas’ Church and is looked after by a Board of Directors under Ontario legislation. There is an annual decoration service held in mid-September each year.
November, 2018 is the beginning of the 150th Celebrations of the little white church on the corner of St. Thomas St. and Winchester Ave. A detailed and storied history of St. Thomas’ Church has been written. Many contributions from the dedicated parishioners (past and present) make this a living document that shows the development of St. Thomas’ church into a vibrant community. The history “Living the Dream, a History of St. Thomas’ Anglican Church, Brooklin” is available from the office of St. Thomas’ Church for a cost of $25.00.
