When opened in 1853 this Gothic Revival church of white brick and Ohio sandstone was one of the largest buildings in the region. For 25 years the spire of the church was the tallest man-made structure in Canada. It was built on the site of an older stone church that was destroyed in the Great Fire of Toronto in 1849. The architecture incorporates all the elements such as the stained-glass windows, the choir, the transepts, the side aisles, and the flying buttresses into making the best use of natural light. Check out the Mint0n-tile floor work, the carved organ, the black walnut panelling of the chancel and Corinthian capitals.

Right outside the church is the St. James Park, a Victorian formal garden with a water fountain and a large gazebo. It’s almost an attraction in and of itself.

• Streetcar 304, 504, 514; Bus 503 stop King St East at Church St.
• Streetcar 301, 501; Bus 502 stop Queen St East at Church St.
• Subway 1 stop Queen Station.

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