While searching for information about the Boer War Memorial a few weeks back, I came across these renderings for the “new” Immaculate Conception Church at Wyandotte and Marentette.
Interesting to see that it was never built as designed. It was common in the past to plan the whole church, but build what you could afford. It would have been quite a landmark on the skyline if the steeples had been built. As it stands, the church towers over everything else in the neighbourhood.
Built in 1904, the church was designed by the architectural firm of Williams Brothers. Williams Brothers also designed Our Lady of the Rosary (closed & vacant) at Riverside and Drouillard.
The following blurb about the new church ran in the Evening Record on March 26, 1904:
NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH
————————-
Church of Immaculate Conception Soon to be BuiltIn this issue of the Evening Record are published cuts of the new Roman Catholic church of the Immaculate Conception to be erected this year at the corner of Wyandotte Street and Marentette Avenue. The edifice will be 150 feet long and capable of seating 750 people. It will be built of brick, with stone foundation. The basement, the ceiling of which will be 10 feet high, will be capable of accommodating an audience of 900 and will be used as a concert hall. A reading room will also be provided. The architecture is of the Gothic style. The roof will be of slate or galvanized iron. The building will be heated by steam and furnished with electrical and gas lighting appliances.
The church gets its name from the fact that the present year, 1904, is the golden jubilee of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. It is expected that the new building will be open for worship on Dec. 8th, the date of the proclamation in 1854. The limits of the new parish are not yet defined. Rev. Father Downey, who has the work in hand of canvassing for the new church, is meeting with good success.
Killed off by the diocese in the first great Windsor Historic Church purge, luckily this great old building was saved and has been well maintained by the local Chaldean community. The Chaldeans purchased it after closure and reopened it as The Holy Family Chaldean Catholic Church.
Also killed off in round one were St. Clare’s (Tecumseh @ Victoria) and Sacred Heart (Ottawa St. @ Benjamin).
A postcard view of the church dated 1907.
As you can see in this shot taken yesterday, not much has changed in the 101 years since the postcard above was dropped in the mail.
Windsor was lucky to have the various ethnic communities (Chaldeans, Maronites & Coptics) who were ready, willing and able to step up to the plate and save these community landmarks.
Built in 1929, the house at 2177 Victoria Avenue was originally numbered 1545 Victoria, pre…
Crescent Lanes first opened on Ottawa Street in 1944 at 1055 Ottawa Street, opposite Lanspeary…
Above is a photo of the home of Mr & Mrs Oswald Janisse, located at…
in 1917 two Greek brothers Gus & Harry Lukos purchased a one story building on…
Photo from Google Streetview A long time reader sent me an email the other week…
An unremarkable end to a part of Windsor's history. The large vacant house at 841…
View Comments
Wow she looks like she hasnt aged a day. Excellent job by the current tennants to preserve her. Lets hope she stays that way for a long while.
Even without the spires - what a handsome building. I agree - we are lucky that there are communities who are able to "recycle" these buildings. I remember when the Chaldeans took on this church - they really did a nice job rehabbing it and it looked (and still does) gorgeous, after being a bit grimy and run down.
St. Clare (St. Joseph?) is a great example too - we did the tour in the Fall and the people there seem so proud of the church's history and architecture. It's beautiful inside.
Andrew - I love the "before and after" - you could do this ALL the time - but you'd better hurry - not too many "befores" will be left.
There's a Flickr group of "Before and After" - you should submit this, it's so nice.
I love it.."church purge". It would be so funny if it wasn't so sad. But hey! You can buy one for a buck!
Just wait until the 3rd purge comes (we have seen purge #2 already). It too will be a dandy.
Andrew:
Thanks for a very real trip down memory lane. This is the parish of my youth, where we spent our days being dragged to church on Sunday and often during the week as well. Christmas Mass was a huge event with giant choirs singing from the balcony and much pomp and ceremony- the acoustics in the place were phenomenal!
St-Edmond School was built at the same time next door where the parking lot now stands, to service the huge French Canadian community. The school was run by the Ursuline Sisters and the rectory next to the church (which still stands) housed the priests and support staff. We French Canadians also had our own mass in French every Sunday at 10;30AM- in the 1960s, the service was standing room only!
It was quite a lively scene and we had a very strong sense of community- the basement of the church served as our hall and there always seemed to be some function taking place.
My parents were married at this church and we buried more than a few family members who took a final short trip from Marcotte's Funeral Home across the stree to the church on then on the Heavenly Rest (you gotta love that name!).
It was a great neighbourhood full of colourful characters.
Did not know about the spires but it makes perfect sense- too bad they didn't build them- that would have been a sweet touch.
All the best to you and your loyal participants on this terrific blog,
chris edwards
"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!"
Charles Dickens
I could just imagine how enormous it would look with the steeples. Which is larger--this one or the one on Ottawa St? I wish I could see what it looked like from the inside. Probably looks just as amazing.
David, Sacred Heart on Ottawa has the longest main aisle of all churches in Windsor. It may not be the largest but it is the longest.
Sacred Heart is where we would go for mass in grade school from Ste. Angela...another uber old school in the city. very nice inside, and yes...very long, the ceiling is pretty high too. i'm sure with it's steeples it's taller than IC...but not by much.