Church recommended for heritage designation
Heritage committee says Philpott Memorial Church should be saved
The pillars of Philpott Memorial Church have stood more than 120 years — and they have the blessing of the city’s heritage committee to survive the redevelopment of Hamilton’s core into an entertainment district.
In a quick decision Friday, members of the city’s heritage committee voted to recommend the house of worship be designated a heritage building, rejecting a proposal by the church and a developer to back an “easement” instead, which would save only a few features of the structure and tear down the rest.
The recommendation must still be ratified by council.
Philpott’s congregation has agreed to sell the York Boulevard sanctuary to developer Aaron Collina, owner of Movengo Corp., and is relocating this year to the former Lincoln Alexander Centre on King Street East. The sale of the church won’t close however until September 2024, according to a letter submitted to the committee by Michael Brown, board chair of Philpott Memorial.
Attempts to reach Collina were unsuccessful. Brown referred The Spectator to its letter. It is unclear how a heritage designation might impact the sale.
Collina planned to demolish the church to build two high-density condo towers in its place, creating 693 residential units.
Hamilton is in desperate need of increased housing stock as housing prices are unaffordable for many and the city is in the throes of an unprecedented homelessness crisis.
If the church remains on the property, just one tower could be built where a parking lot currently exists, the committee heard.
The church was erected in two phases between 1901 and 1906. A staff report recommending that it be designated says it has physical heritage value because of its Neo-Classical and Romanesque Revival styles of architecture, displaying a “high degree of craftsmanship.”
Its notable features include: its central, three-bay frontispiece with a gabled roof; brick construction with segmentally-arched window openings and its two-storey recessed central portico, including its Ionic fluted stone columns, steps and doors.
It also has historical value because it is associated with Peter Wiley Philpott and the Christian Workers’ movement. The original portion of the church was the first purpose-built structure for the nondenominational, working-class congregation in Hamilton. It was designed by prominent Hamilton architect Charles Mills.
“The property also has contextual value because it is important in defining and maintaining the character of the area, is visually and historically linked to its surroundings and is considered a local landmark,” says the staff report.
Heritage staff say the church meets eight of the nine criteria for a designation, which several members of the committee pointed out is an uncommon feat.
The developer, represented at the meeting by a delegate from Armstrong Planning, says the heritage value of the church has been marred by the cladding installed overtop the original red brick in the 1960s. The underlying brick is so fragile it cannot be saved. The entire exterior would need to be replaced and finding similar, vintage brick in such a large quantity would be almost impossible.
Instead, the developer proposed the columns, stained glass and a few other features be salvaged and reintegrated into the design of the condo lobby. The lobby could be open to the public so everyone could view the remains of Philpott Memorial.
The meeting heard Philpott Memorial’s congregation supports the approach and would agree with an easement, a necessary requirement for one to be issued.
The city says deteriorating bricks would not prevent the building from being salvaged.
The developer also argued the original church wouldn’t fit in with the plan to remake that corner of the downtown into an entertainment district.
The Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group (HUPEG) has a long-term leasing arrangement with the city to refurbish and operate FirstOntario Centre, FirstOntario Concert Hall and the Hamilton Convention Centre.
HUPEG wrote a letter supporting the easement.