CNHS - St. Anne's Church ~ Toronto - Canadian National Historic Sites on Waymarking.com

St. Anne's Church

St. Anne's vibrant wall paintings make this church a place of national historic significance. They were executed in 1923 by ten Toronto artists, including J.E.H. MacDonald, F. Varley and F. Carmichael from the Group of Seven. Their decorative composition inspired by Byzantine art, complements the church's architectural style chosen in 1907 by Canon Lawrence Skey, the rector for more than 30 years. The art reflects the revival of mural decoration in the late 19th century, and is also a manifestation of the Arts and Crafts movement which united painting and sculpture with architecture.

St. Anne's Church - 1907

St. Anne's Anglican Church parish was founded on the present site in 1862. In 1907, a competition was held for the design of a new church. A design submitted by architect (William) Ford Howland was selected. Howland established a successful architectural firm with architect Charles Langley soon after designing St. Anne's. In 1923, the decoration of the interior of the second St. Anne's Church was begun. The design of the church is in the Byzantine style, which is very unusual for an Anglican church. St. Anne's is constructed of concrete and brick and characterized by a cruciform plan with a distinctive central dome, 70 feet (21 meters) in height. The transitional rise from the square form of the crossing to the octagonal dome is made through the use of pendentives springing from four columns of Caen stone. Other architectural features include two domed bell towers, a half-domed chancel and arched transepts. Interior decorative features of particular note are the colourful ornamental and pictorial paintings carried out under the direction of architect William Rae. Twenty-one works of religious art – including pendentive, apse, transept and nave paintings, and sculpted plaques – were undertaken by a variety of artists, including three members of the Group of Seven – J.E.H. MacDonald, Frank Carmichael and Frederick H. Varley, as well as Thoreau MacDonald, Neil Mackechnie, Arthur Martin, H.S. Palmer and H.S. Stansfield, and sculptors Frances Loring and Florence Wyle. Together they represent an outstanding and unique example of Canadian artistry and craftsmanship.

The building was designated a National Historic Site in 1996. In 1980, the City of Toronto designated the church under the Ontario Heritage Act and, in 1981, the Ontario Heritage Trust secured a heritage easement on the building.

Information taken from: Visit website

As a suggestion for your visit log, please make every effort to supply a brief-to-detailed note about your experience at the Waymark. If possible also include an image that was taken when you visited the Waymark. Images can be of yourself, a personal Waymarking signature item or just one of general interest that would be of value to others. Sharing your experience helps promote Waymarking and provides a dynamic history of your adventures.