Established in 1910, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church began with 66 members, a small number compared with its present membership of 500.
Its first building was erected on Lyon Street and dedicated in 1914 on Easter Sunday.
The majority of its first members were either of European descent, residents of Ottawa, recent immigrants or arrivals from neighbouring towns and rural communities.
The church endured years of financial hardship, but gradually the congregation grew to what it is today.
The current building was consecrated in 1954.
Now located at 400 Sparks St., St. Peter’s overlooks the Garden of Provinces and Territories, the Ottawa River and the Gatineau Hills.
It is designed in a Gothic-like manner with a tower on the right-hand side of the structure. The sandstone was cut from the same quarry stone used for the Parliament buildings.
The church’s most significant interior features are its Casavant organ, of French decent, installed in 1977, and its group of stained glass windows, depicting the life of Christ and the Lutheran heritage. They were designed by Canadian artist Russell Goodman between 1985 and 1993.