St. Andrew's Church
82 Kent Street
Written by Bytown Museum
on
03/Dec/2009
In 1828, Nicholas Sparks granted land to St. Andrew's Church of Scotland to build a church. That same year, Rideau Canal contractor Thomas MacKay had his men construct the stone church during a lull in their work.
As the Established Church in the area, the church was granted a clergy reserve lot, or glebe lot, by the government of Upper Canada. By leasing and later selling the land, the church was able to cover its annual expenses. Did you know that this glebe lot is the origin of the Glebe neighbourhood in Ottawa?
By 1872, the church was overcrowded, and a new one was commissioned. One hundred years later, the building required extensive repairs that the church could not afford. To raise funds, the church tore down the attached Sunday school hall and replaced it with an office tower. They used the proceeds to refurbish the sanctuary and install a new pipe organ.
