Grace Church

Built in 1849, Grace Church is located in Markham, Ontario on the west side of highway 48 south of the intersection with Highway 7. The beginnings of the parish dates back to 1846 when small groups of Anglicans held meetings in homes, taverns, public buildings and schools (Detailed History of Grace Church). The construction of Grace Church started in 1847 when Vincent P. Meyerhoffer was holding services and establishing worship facilities in Markham Ville and its surrounding counties. The church was completed in the fall of 1849, during the time of George S.J.Hill.

The rectangular timber structure of the original Grace Church was a “white clapboard building” measuring about 24 feet by 56 feet (Rempel). A tower was added in later years and was framed as a separate structure.

The design of the church displayed improved construction techniques, deviating from traditional building practices of the time. Instead of constructing the roof truss as a separate unit than the wall structure and let it rest on the walls, the builders of Grace church integrated the roof into the main structure by lowering the roof truss using cross bracing. This technique provided extra rigidity and lateral support for the walls and wind bracing for the entire structure.

In 1927, the church was moved to the north side of Highway 7, due to road widening activities. Around this time, the rectory went through major repairs initiated by the priest of the time, John J. Robins. The interior of the church was also entirely refurbished at this time. In the post war period, the population of the area increased. As a result the church faced issues with accommodating this expansion which led to the demolition of the original “little white” Grace Church in 1963. A new church was built and the parish was relocated to its current location on Park Avenue.

Bibliography

"Detailed History of Grace Church." n.d. Grace Anglican Church. PDF. 1 August 2013. Rempel, John I. Building with Wood and other aspects of nineteenth-century building in Ontario. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1967.