History
The original Christ Church opened on Notre-Dame Street in Old Montreal in 1814. In 1850, it had been designated as the cathedral for the new Anglican Diocese of Montreal upon its separation from the Anglican Diocese of Quebec. The original Christ Church Cathedral was destroyed by fire in 1856.
The present cathedral, an Neo-gothic structure, was designed by architect Frank Wills (1822–1856), who also designed Christ Church Cathedral in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Before construction began, Willis died, and Montreal architect, Thomas Seaton Scott (1826–1895) was commissioned to carry out his design. It was completed in 1859 and consecrated in 1867.
Andrew Taylor (Architect) performed alterations and restoration on the Christ Church Cathedral (Montreal)from 1890-91 and installed a memorial window for Mrs. A.C. Hooper, 1902-03.
Modeled after the 14th century Gothic-style churches of the English countryside, the cathedral features a square shaped crossing tower.
Unfortunately, the design, though acclaimed for its architecture, suffered from important engineering flaws. The soft ground could not support the heavy central stone tower and steeple, which began to subside and lean. By 1920, the tower leaned 4 feet to the south. This defect formed the basis of an important lawsuit (Wardle v. Bethune) often cited as precedent relating to Article 1688 of the Quebec Civil Code.
George Allan Ross (architect) performed alterations, 1923 and reconstructed the tower, 1939-40. In 1927, the stone steeple, weighing 3,500,000 pounds (1,600,000 kg) had to be removed. New foundations were poured in 1939, and in 1940, an anonymous donation permitted the construction of a much lighter steeple made of aluminum, molded to simulate the former stone spire. It is 38 metres high, attaining a height of 70 metres off the ground.
Recent additions to the church include a choir gallery, built in 1980, and the church's third organ, completed in 1981. Notable musicians to have served as the church's organist include Alfred Whitehead (1922–1947) and S. Drummond Wolff (1952–1956).
Read more about this topic: Christ Church Cathedral (Montreal)
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“Anyone who is practically acquainted with scientific work is aware that those who refuse to go beyond fact rarely get as far as fact; and anyone who has studied the history of science knows that almost every great step therein has been made by the “anticipation of Nature.””
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95)
“Social history might be defined negatively as the history of a people with the politics left out.”
—G.M. (George Macaulay)
“The history of any nation follows an undulatory course. In the trough of the wave we find more or less complete anarchy; but the crest is not more or less complete Utopia, but only, at best, a tolerably humane, partially free and fairly just society that invariably carries within itself the seeds of its own decadence.”
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)