Back in June, 2006, I paid a visit en route to Art in the Park to the First Presbyterian Church of Walkerville.
Built in 1908, it was designed by architects James Watt and Charles Howard Crane. Crane would eventually find fame and fortune as the pre-eminent theatre architect in America. In Detroit alone, he designed the Fox, the State (now known as the Filmore Detroit) and the Grand Circus (today known as the Detroit Opera House). In Windsor he designed the old Palace (demolished 1986) as well as the Walkerville Theatre, that many know as the Tivoli.
Recently I acquired a postcard of the church postmarked from 1916. Despite the date on the postmark, I suspect that the photo was taken closer to 1908. Anyone familiar with Walkerville, who knows the corner of Windermere and Niagara, knows how naked the area looks in this old postcard.
I would have to agree with your assessment. 1916 would be too far into WW I which means that many of the surrounding houses probably weren’t built until 1919 or later which we know is not true. 1908-1911 would be about right.
Howard Crane also designed the old Olympia stadium in Detroit. (demolished 1982)
What a great find this postcard was!
I love the before and after. Funny to see the “wide open spaces” – I’ve visited people right by the church – parking can be a pain!
Parking should be painful, then maybe more people would walk or use public transit! I like the simplicity of lines in that church, reminds of St. Andrew’s downtown …same architect?
Urbanrat, agreed it is slightly similar, although St. Andrew’s is more Richardsonian Romanesque.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richardsonian_Romanesque
St. Andrew’s was designed by Detroit Architects Spiers and Rohns in 1896, and predates this one by 12 years. This red brick church was pretty much run of the mill for the time.
So, that’s looking west on Niagara, then. Strange to see the wide open spaces when today it’s a shining example of a heritage T.O.D., “New Urbanist”-style!.
It almost looks like suburban greenfield development!
Very cool. I lived in the apartment building next to the church when I was a university student. It’s incredible to see how bare the neighbourhood was when the church was built.
Very cool. I lived in the apartment building next to the church when I was a university student. It’s incredible to see how bare the neighbourhood was when the church was built.