Trinity's Story

The beginning of Trinity United Church is found in the year 1871 when Prince Arthur's Landing was inhabited by a few hundred residents who had no place of worship. A small group of citizens undertook to build a non-denominational church to serve the protestant residents of the community. It was to be called 'The Church of All Faiths'.

The project was advancing along when a substantial gift was received from the Reverend Dr. Punshon and the Reverend Dr. Alex Sutherland who were grateful to survive a difficult passage across Lake Superior. Attached to the gift was the condition that the building be named "Providence Methodist Church". And so, the first name of the church was chosen. This name continued to be used until 1892 when it was renamed "The Methodist Church".

The original structure, erected on this same corner was a frame building, painted grey, accommodating about 150 people. Methodists and Presbyterians shared the church on Sunday. Although it had a steeple, there was no bell, and worshippers were summoned to church by the town bell on Park Street. For a time, public school classes were held in the dug-out basement and access was gained through a trap door. A melodeon borrowed from the Woodside Family provided music for church services. Each Sunday, the instrument, which weighed fifty pounds, was carried across the street to the church and then returned to the Woodside family home.

The growth of the community necessitated planning for a larger structure and on March 6, 1889, the first women's organization was formed at a meeting at the home of Mrs. W.S. Beaver with the express purpose of building a new church. The group, headed by Mrs. James Meek, president, was officially called the Women's Auxiliary Association.

A prospective budget of $50,000.00 for church and furnishings must have seemed unreachable to a congregation of 152 members. The hard work began. Subscriptions were undertaken from church and community members. On a humorous note, Father Baxter of the Roman Catholic Church refused a contribution to the new church but made a donation for the dismantling and removal of the old church instead! The old church was sold and moved to a new site. Some original lumber and materials were used as a storage shed on the Oliver Road School property for many decades.

On October 10, 1904, the corner stone for the new church was laid in an impressive ceremony. Mr. J.H. Woodside (a charter member since 1871 or 1872) was selected to deposit the historical documents in the cornerstone.

At that time, there was considerable building and development in the community and across the country and only three tenders were received -- one for the stonework, one for the carpentry and one for the complete building. The Building Committee consisted of Messrs. J.T. Emmerson, Richard Vigars, J.G. Ashforth, James H. Woodside and James Meek. They were committed to building the finest structure with the best workmanship and materials. Their perseverance must have been tested many times as unforseen difficulties arose shortly after the building was begun.

The discovery of quicksand at the construction site required the building committee to consult the Langley Architectural firm from Toronto. Site problems led to costly overruns and by necessity some of the work had to be done by volunteers. Six months after construction began, it was discovered that the tremendous masonry weight was causing the building to shift. It created a problem that could only be solved by expensive piling at the back end of the new church. There was no money available for this. One member of the congregation sold his fruit farm in California which he had purchased for his retirement and then matched dollar for dollar all money raised by the congregation. This saved the building programme. To this day, a stream runs or trickles beneath the basement of the church.

The stone selected for the building travelled by barge from an island in Lake Superior off the Sibley Peninsula. Each stone was cut by hand and raised stone by stone into place. The chandeliers in the sanctuary could be raised and lowered by a pulley system. The magnificent stained glass windows were designed by artist Robert MacCausland. So expert was the planning and workmanship that the building remains an 'architectural gem' in the heart of our city.

In the narthex, you will find some interesting pieces of memorabilia from these early years. A watercolour showing the excavation for the present building was painted in 1904 by Miss M. Aitken a pioneer public school teacher. The background depicts the original St. Paul's Church, Central School and St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Church. The framed document is the patent granted for the church property. The other picture appeared in the newspaper "The Daily Sentinel" and is a photo of Providence Methodist Church. The added text was printed by H.E. Cushway.

In 1908, a few years after completion, the church was renamed "Trinity Methodist Church". From 1906-1917, pew rentals were charged to a maximum of $5.00 per year. A card with the name of the occupant was inserted in each metal frame and these remain intact to this day.

In 1925, the choir loft was renovated and a marble baptismal font was donated by Eunice Beaver Wishart which is still used in Trinity Chapel. Also, that year, with the coming of church union, the building was given the name it holds today -- "Trinity United Church". In 1929, the Morel organ was purchased at a cost of $14,000.00 and was dedicated as Trinity Memorial Organ in honour of the men of the congregation who gave their lives in the First Great War.

Following the Second World War, further renovations were undertaken. In 1953, the balcony was built with the generous financial support of Mr. D.R. Harrison. It was dedicated September 12, 1954, to the memory of his wife, Lottie. In 1955, the choir loft was renovated as it appears today. About this time ideas were formulating for the construction of Trinity Hall and in 1956 the cornerstone was laid with construction being completed in 1957. At the same time, the chapel and a new kitchen were incorporated into the building. The cost of these improvements totalled $110,000.00.

One of the recent changes in the sanctuary occurred in September of 1996, with the purchase of the Roger's Organ. The $67,000.00, three-manual digital organ is one of the latest instruments and the most high tech. It produces sound by playing back recorded samples of wind-blown pipes and has an on-board capacity of six Pentium processors. It can produce unlimited sound combinations powered by 800-watt speakers. Organ performances can be "recorded" to disc and replayed at any time.

A major, current project is the restoration of the beautiful stained glass windows. This fall, the large window facing east and one small window from the rear of the church will be returned and re-installed by the Edwards Glass Company of London, Ontario. The cost will be approximately $75,000.00.

Although a church has been present on this corner for 133 years, the year 2004 marks the Centennial of this historic building. In the words of the late Rev. Dr. Russell A. Peden, who served this congregation from 1947-1971, "One hundred years, measured against the centuries of recorded history, is but a short space of time. Yet in terms of the lives of men and women, a century is a sufficiently lengthy period to justify the writing of a historical record". We are grateful for and remain indebted to Dr. and Mrs. Peden who maintained the church scrap book and to Mrs. Wilda Lowcock who, in 1971, prepared the historical record to which Dr. Peden referred. Without their thoughtful diligence, much of this information would not be readily available.