RECORD FOR PARK BAPTIST CHURCH
LOCATIONAL DESCRIPTION:
Park Baptist Church: 95 George Street, at the northeast corner of Darling and George Streets.
SCHEDULE 'B' :
Reasons for the designation of Park Baptist Church, 65 George Street, at the northeast corner of
Darling and George Streets:
Park Baptist Church, built from 1881 to 1883, is designated on' account of its architecture and for
its role in Victoria Square's urban quality and arrangement of space.
John Turner, Brantford's British-trained architect of the nineteenth century interpreted an ancient
pattern in a modern way to produce an outstanding display of the Eclectic-Picturesque style that
was popular in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
His design for Park Baptist Church recalls England's Exeter Cathedral built from 1328-1375, but
the red and tar-dipped brick, hip-roofed towers and polished granite Corinthian pillars expose a
Victorian taste. Like Exeter Cathedral, Park Baptist's George Street facade possesses a central gable
resting between two towers - the tower closest the corner being a storey taller than the other. The
towers are flanked by stone-capped buttresses and contain pointed arch windows and vents, and
decorative brick panels. The central gable is adorned with a large wheel window crafted by Lyons
& Co. of Toronto. The size, the delicate pattern and the brightly-coloured shapes revolving around
a dove make this window the finest feature of the building.
The 1910 red brick vestibule with its pointed arch windows and doorways does not seriously
distract from the original plan.
The Darling Street facade and northern side boast an original tower doorway, other pointed arch
doorways, wheel windows, buttresses and pointed arch windows filled with stained glass. Inside the
sanctuary, there are elaborate organ pipes in the chancel, a curving iron balcony in the nave and a
ceiling ornamented by a boss, ribs and cornice.
Park Baptist Church, named for its location across from Victoria Park, represents an extension of
Turner's conception of Victoria Square. Park Baptist Church is an elegant Turner building that is
enhanced by the Park which he designed as a suitable setting for his monumental Courthouse.
Similarly, the Church's fine details work to develop the grand character of Victoria Square and its
towers function to define the Square's southeast corner.
I. HISTORICAL DATA
Construction Date - Sod was first turned on August 23, 1881. The Church was dedicated on June 3,
1883. (re: The Brantford Expositor, 8 June, 1883) .
Architect - John Turner (re: "Our City's Progress" The Brantford Expositor 15 December, 1882
(weekly)).
Contractors - Thomas Large acted as general contractor. A Mr. Bates modelled an iron balcony
from Turner's plan and also carved stone facings and ornaments. Messrs. Lyons & Co. of Toronto
crafted the stained glass windows. Messrs. Brown slated the roof. Messrs. Wood and Jennings did
the plastering. William Buck furnished cresting for the towers. (re: The Brantford Expositor, 15
December, 1882) .
Construction Cost - The building itself cost $15,000 and the furnishings cost $2,000. (re: The
Brantford Expositor, 8 June, 1883) ,
Its Name - 'While in the course of construction, the EXPOSITOR christened it - from its location the "Park" Baptist Church, which name was, later, adopted by the Church." (re: The Brantford
Expositor, 8 June, 1883) .
Changes in the Entrance -The Church used to be entered via the towers. On the north side of the
three-storey tower and on the Darling Street side of the taller tower, one entered through a pointed
arch supported by polished granite columns and their stone capitals. The Darling Street entrance
still exists. In 1910, a "portico of red brick, with appropriate stained glass windows and oak-grained
doors" was added to the George Street facade as a new entrance. (re: The Brantford Expositor, 15
December, 1882 and "New Park Baptist Church", The Brantford Expositor, 30 April, 1910).
II. ARCHITECTURAL DATA
Topography, Vegetation and Outdoor Furnishings - building abuts both sidewalks; library driveway
on north side; parking lot on east side created by demolition of a large, Victorian house in summer
1978; iron fence and bushes remain from house; hydro pole near eastern limit of property serves as
a light standard; modern street lamp with concrete standard at corner; grass verge between sidewalk
and Darling Street; Victoria Park west of building.
Relationship to Surrounding Buildings - small setback characteristic of Victoria Square; decorative
elements such as wheel windows, towers and patterned brick extend the Square's grand setting;
towers help give definition to the Square's southeast corner.
Structural Condition - good
Alterations, Additions - George Street vestibule has been added; northern tower entrance has been
closed; plainer addition has extended the building in a northeasterly direction; slate roof has been
replaced; cresting has been removed.
Workmanship - evidence of quality workmanship: stained glass wheel windows, brickwork.
Storeys - primarily three storeys high; one three-storey tower and one four-and-a-half-storey tower.
Arrangement - symmetrical
Foundation - brick
Exterior Wall Material - "tuck-pointed" red brick, some of which has been dipped in tar.
George Street Façade - Three Bays:
- a central wide gable set between two towers, one taller than the other; towers are flanked by
stone-capped buttresses;
- each tower contains a pointed arch stained glass window centred in the tower's facade on the first
storey, two pointed arch windows on the second storey, recessed rosette panels and four narrow
pointed arch panels on the third storey and in the fourth storey of the taller tower, three pointed
arch vents with scalloped wooden rows; sharp peaks rise into the hip roofs of the towers;
- the vestibule consists of a pointed arch doorway supported by stone Ionic pillars and located to
either side of four pointed arch windows; these vestibule windows vary in height, have stained
glass panes, are linked by voussoirs and rest in a pointed arch; a small, plain wheel window rests
above this window group; in the central gable, above the vestibule, one finds a large wheel window
with a fine pattern; tar-dipped bricks occur in some voussoirs, the cornice, string courses and brick
panels.
Darling Street Facade - Nine Bays:
- in tower, one finds a doorway with a pointed arch transom light and polished granite pillars
adorned by stone Corinthian capitals; next to the tower, is a narrow bay with two short pointed arch
stained glass windows; there follows a wide gable divided by a double buttress in its centre; on
either side of the double buttresses are two long, pointed arch stained glass windows and a wheel
window; two bays, each with a long, pointed arch window follow; the three eastern bays contain
plainer, short, pointed arch windows and a pointed arch doorway; stone-capped buttresses separate
bays; there is a series of basement windows.
North Side:
- much like the Darling Street facade except there is no entry into the building from the tower; a
vestibule interrupts the plan at the eastern end; the easternmost gable has flat-headed windows.
Interior of Vestibule:
-
one of the four stained glass vestibule windows is dedicated to Robert Morton, a nineteenth
century entrepreneur who built 89 Charlotte Street; two Ionic pillars stand in the vestibule;
modern window dividers in vestibule;
The Sancturay:
- nave is filled with a curving iron balcony supported by iron pillars with Corinthian capitals;
western wall is focused by the large wheel window; in the centre of this wheel window is a dove,
the symbol of Christ's Revelation; this window and the other wheel windows show bright blue,
green, red, orange and yellow glass; the pointed arch windows are mostly filled with light yellow
glass; below the balcony, there hangs an old clock whose face is marked by this admonition:
"Brethren the Time is Short"; the central portion of the chancel is fitted with a set of organ pipes;
on either side of the pipes is a pointed arch speaker panel; the wooden pews have scroll-like iron
sides; the ceiling cornice is thick and grooved; the multi-pitched ceiling is centred by a boss and
outlined by ribs.
NOTE : Some of the initial research on Park Baptist Church was done by Marjorie Dunsmuire for
the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario -Brant County Branch- during the summer of 1978.
Photo inserted here in Planning Department file copy; caption below photo:
EXETER CATHEDRAL, West Front, 1328-1375; Example of Decorated Gothic Style, 1275 1375 from D. Yarwood, The Architecture of Britain, London: B.T. Batsford Ltd.,1976