St. Andrew’s Church, on the corner of Kent and Wellington streets, is a refreshing sight among the more modern buildings in the area.
Churches are known for both their elegant architecture and rich history; St. Andrew’s is no exception. The original building was built in 1828, making it the oldest Presbyterian Church in Ottawa.
As the name suggests, the church has Scottish roots. Thomas McKay, a Scottish stonemason and businessman, led the initiative to develop a Presbyterian Church.
The construction of the church took place during a break in McKay’s original project to build the locks joining the Rideau Canal to the Rideau River.
In the 1850s, the St. Andrew’s congregation had outgrown its church so additions to the building were made. However, as the church community continued to grown, the original structure had to be torn down in 1872 to make way for the building that stands in Centretown today.
On Jan. 25, 1874, the new church opened its doors and the sounds of the church’s first pipe organ could be heard throughout the building. The original organ was built for $3,200 by Samuel Warren of Montreal.
As this historical building began to feel the brunt of its age, more repairs and additions were required. Two of these additions were a new pipe organ and an office building known as St. Andrew’s Tower. Both were part of a large reconstruction project in the 1970s and 1980s to restore and renovate the inside of the church.
According to St. Andrew’s website, the architecture of the church and the office building are a physical symbol of a recommitment to serving God at the very centre of the city.