Former St. Giles United Church

679 Main St. E. / 85 Holton Ave. S. Hamilton, Ontario
Central Ontario

BUILDING HISTORY:

Designed by Stewart & Witton, the Neo-Gothic St. Giles Church was built in 1912 for a Presbyterian congregation as Hamilton expanded eastward in the early 20th century. It was the first church in Hamilton to join the United Church of Canada in 1925.  Around 1945, the Church built an addition on the east side of the building, as a war memorial to those church members who died serving in WW2.  In 1958, most of the original Sunday School building, except for the arched entrance on Holton was demolished to make way for a new Christian Education Centre.  In 2013, St. Giles United Church congregation amalgamated with Centenary United to form New Vision United Church, whose congregation is now accommodated in the former Centenary United Church at 23 Main Street West, Hamilton. The former St. Giles building was then closed and is still vacant.   

DETAILS OF THREAT:

Demolition and redevelopment. The property owner, New Vision United Church, applied for a demolition permit in the spring of 2018. City staff and the local heritage committee found the property easily met the criteria for designation under the Ontario Heritage Act but councillors rejected the recommended designation at the behest of the property owner. The demolition application has expired and has not yet been re-submitted.  However, New Vision Church still intends to demolish the building, to be replaced with a residential complex.  Many interested parties would like the new housing proposal to incorporate the original 1912 building.  

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP:
Contact Ward 3 Councillor Nrinder Nann and Mayor Fred Eisenberger.
Contact the Committee for the “Friends of St. Giles”: Marie Sharp (905-547-8585) or (Janet Long 905-544-3666).
UPDATE:  A delegation appeared before the Hamilton Municipal Heritage Committee at its meeting held 26 March 2021. The HMHC then approved a motion to add the former St. Giles United Church to the Municipal Heritage Register, which was subsequently approved by the Planning Committee and City Council.  The Joint Statement of the Friends of St. Giles and the ACO Hamilton Region Branch is posted on the Friends of St. Giles Facebook page.    

NOTE: The Demolition permit has been rescinded as it is inactive.  Once a property has been added to the Register, It has interim protection from demolition: the property owner must give a 60-day notice of any intent to demolish or remove a building or structure.