Top Religious Buildings (Self Guided), Hamilton

Christ's Church Cathedral, the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Niagara was built in 1835, it is the oldest extant Anglican cathedral in anglophone Canada. The building has an unusual construction history. Originally a stuccoed wooden Palladian-Baroque structure designed by Robert Charles Wetherall, it was incrementally transformed into stone Decorated Gothic, initially to an 1848 design by William Thomas, with Thomas’s chancel and the first two bays of his nave being added to Wetherall's existing wooden church, the resulting hybrid being dubbed “the humpback church.”

The stone gothic nave was completed to a further design by Henry Langley in 1876, the original wooden portion having been demolished in 1872 to clear room for it and, inter alia, the chancel extended in 1924–25. Meanwhile, Thomas, in a state of indignation over the perverse use to which the Anglicans had put his design, took it to the Presbyterians, who built the still-standing Saint Paul’s Church to Thomas’s plan for Christ’s Church. Christ's Church has ornately carved west doors and fine stained glass windows.

Saint John's Evangelical Lutheran Church is quite interesting, both from an architectural point of view and from a religious one. It was constructed in Gothic Revival architectural style. The building was established in 1882 as Saint Paul's Baptist Church, later renamed Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, and finally in 1955 was rededicated to Saint John. Being a bilingual congregation, the services take place in two languages, English and German.

Saint Paul's Presbyterian Church is one of the most beautiful churches in Hamilton, with beautiful English-Gothic architecture, interesting elements and stained glass windows. It was built during a period of four years, from 1854 to 1857, and now it is part of the National Historic Site. The Cross of Sacrifice, erected by the congregation in 1921, is of interest as it is dedicated to those who died in the two world wars.

Another architectural masterpiece of Hamilton, with a high religious value is James Saint Baptist Church. It was established between 1878 and 1882, by the appreciated architect Joseph Connolly. Such elements as geometric patterns and pointed windows reflect the tendencies of the thirteenth century. The interior of the church is also imposing, with its division into a nave and aisles and its amazingly decorated altar.

McNab Presbyterian Church was built in 1854, as a result of the expanding of the Knox Free Church Congregation and the necessity for a new place of worship. The building was designed by architect Isaac Buchanan in Gothic Revival style. The first establishment was a wooden church with a small capacity, but was reconstructed two years later, when a stone building was set by Scottish stonemasons. Until 1954, some important additions were built. The church is remarkable for its design and simplicity, which makes it very attractive.

The origins of the Central Presbyterian Church dates back to 1841, when the congregation was formed from only ten members and two adherents. The former place of worship was a schoolhouse at Jackson and MacNab streets, and later, in 1858, a bigger stone church was built but destroyed by fire. The congregation moved to the present site, where the beautiful new church was established and recently redecorated. The current structure was designed by architect John M. Lyle in Georgian style, and built in 1908.

St Joseph's Church has a rich history of about one hundred years, the period during which it spread the Catholic religion and received numerous devoted worshippers. At first, the services of the congregation were held in a little wooden church, known as The German Mission Church. But the necessity for more space led to the construction of this Roman-Catholic parish, completed on June 24, 1894, and dedicated to Saint Joseph. It was built in Gothic Revival architectural style.

Melrose United Church is one of the most impressive churches in the region. Its congregation, which forms a union with Charlton Avenue Methodist Church and Westmount Presbyterian Church, was founded and consolidated on November 13, 1925, while the building which houses the church was established on March 31, 1929. Besides the usual services, the church also offers guitar classes and chorus meetings.