• St. Matthias Anglican Church, 1857 (1912)
Anglican Diocese of Montreal
• Architectural Style :
Neo-Gothic, Gothic Revival
• Architect | Ross & MacFarlane, Church 1910
C.R. Tetley, Parish hall 1930
St. Matthias’ Church is a parish within the Anglican Diocese of Montreal, Anglican Church of Canada .
Anglicanism has its origin in England and was introduced into British North America with the establishment of American and Canadian maritime colonies.
St. Matthias’ Church is the Regimental Church of the Royal Montreal Regiment (RMR). Its colours and memorial are housed in a side chapel
• History :
The early churches in Westmount were missions for congregations from downtown Montreal. As parishioners moved westward, some churches opened up small venues to accommodate them in the sparsely settled municipality
The first was Anglican St. Matthias on Côte St. Antoine Road. The original white clap-board mission church stood on the site of today’s parish hall. The land donated by Mrs. Raynes was on the southeast corner of her “Forden” estate. The present stone building was erected in 1912. For many years, the former church served as the parish hall, until it was demolished in 1935.
• Historical Value
The contextual heritage value resides in the church commanding presence on the corner of Cote St. Antoine and Church Hill.
The historical heritage value resides in the long history of the St. Matthias Anglican Church with the development of Westmount.
• Architectural Elements:
Stained Glass Windows
Charles W. Kelsey (1877-1975):
The Fowler and Hill Memorial Windows. Some of the windows were restored over a twenty year program – 1994-2014.
C. W. Kelsey was a prominent stained glass artist, who worked primarily in Canada. Born in England, he trained in the Arts and Crafts tradition.
Kelsey arrived in Canada in 1922 and soon set up his studio in Westmount. He designed windows mainly for churches, but also for private buildings.
The themes of the church windows are either ecclesiastical or commemorative, memorials to the dead of both world wars.
• Classification • Minister of Culture and Communications Quebec
( https://www.patrimoine-culturel.gouv.qc.ca/rpcq/detail.do?methode=consulter&id=164631&type=bien)
