College Street United Church and The Channel Club are located at 456 College St (at Bathurst St on the northwest corner) in the Palmerston-Little Italy neighbourhood of Toronto.
Built in 1884/85 and originally the College Street Presbyterian Church, architects Smith & Gemmell designed the structure in the Gothic Revival style. Made from red brick and trimmed with stone, the local landmark features lancet windows, trefoil and quatrefoil tracery, a gabled roof and a single pinnacle on the tower. The interior was renowned for its arches and gleaming oak. At the time, the church and property were valued at $45,000.
In 1892, architects Smith & Gemmell designed a north wing and a polygonal tower addition.
The church received heritage status from Ontario Heritage Trust in 1986 and the City of Toronto the following year; however it had fallen into disrepair. Despite efforts to save the church, in 1988, much of it was demolished except for the tower.
The Channel Club incorporated the church tower into the development, with the new College Street United Church occupying the ground floor and the condo residences on the storeys above.
College Street United Church Photos
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register: 452-456 College St
- Ontario Heritage Trust: 452-456 College St
- Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Mar 24, 1990, pg J1
- Landmarks of Toronto: Volume 4 by J Ross Robertson (1904), pgs 263-266
- Photos: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photos: City of Toronto Archives & Toronto Public Library
- Vintage Map: Atlas of the City of Toronto 1890 by Chas E Goad from the Toronto Public Library