The Avenue Road Church is a former church building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 243 Avenue Road, on the northeastern corner of Roxborough Avenue.
Originally the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, it became the Avenue Road Presbyterian Church then the Avenue Road United Church, and later the Church of the Nazarene. The building now serves as the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple (ISKCON Toronto).
History
Designed in the Gothic Revival style by Gordon & Helliwell and built in 1899, the building was initially the Church of the Covenant. It was renamed the Avenue Road Presbyterian Church around 1908. The Presbyterian congregation joined the United Church of Canada in 1925, thus the church became the Avenue Road United Church. Under his leadership, the new independent congregation grew until Templeton went into debt to pay for the construction of a balcony to accommodate their larger numbers. It was soon after the balcony was completed that the structure was severely damaged by fire, in 1944. After the demolition permit was denied, it has since become Canada's largest Hare Krishna place of worship.
References
External links
- Avenue Road Church (Toronto Architectural Conservancy webpage)
- Historic photos of Avenue Road Church
- History of Bayview Glen Church (originally founded as Avenue Road Church)
- Toronto Hare Krishna Temple (current occupant of the former church building)