Toronto’s historic churches span roughly 180 years of building, from Little Trinity Church on King Street East, where regular services began in 1844 and which an Ontario Heritage Trust plaque calls the oldest surviving church in the city, to the Romanesque tower of St. Paul’s Basilica, first used for Mass in late 1889. This section of History of Toronto introduces seven of the best documented churches in the downtown core and explains how to read the records behind them.
What this section covers
The churches described here were chosen because each one can be checked against a public record: an Ontario Heritage Trust register entry or plaque, a City of Toronto by-law, or the history page of the parish or archdiocese that owns the building. They belong to four traditions: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist (now United), and Presbyterian. All seven stand within a few kilometers (about two to three miles) of King and Yonge, which suits a walking route as well as a reading list.
The companion page, the verified list of Toronto’s historic churches, gives name, denomination, dates, architect, address, and status for each building in a single table. This page supplies the background.
The churches in order of construction
- Little Trinity Church (Anglican), 425 King Street East: regular services from 1844, according to the Ontario Heritage Trust plaque.
- St. Michael’s Cathedral (Roman Catholic), Bond and Shuter streets: cornerstone laid May 8, 1845, consecrated September 29, 1848, to a design by William Thomas.
- Church of the Holy Trinity (Anglican), 19 Trinity Square: consecrated in 1847 and designed by Henry Bowyer Lane.
- Cathedral Church of St. James (Anglican), 106 King Street East: construction recorded as 1853 to 1874 by F. W. Cumberland and Thomas Ridout.
- Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen Street East: built 1870 to 1872 to a design by Henry Langley.
- St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 75 Simcoe Street: designed by William G. Storm, completed 1875 and dedicated February 13, 1876.
- St. Paul’s Basilica (Roman Catholic), 83 Power Street: designed by Joseph Connolly, cornerstone blessed in 1887, first Mass in late 1889.
Styles and architects
Gothic Revival dominates the early churches. The plaque at St. Michael’s describes the cathedral as an adaptation of 14th-century English Gothic. The plaque at Holy Trinity describes a modified Gothic design on a cruciform plan. Henry Bowyer Lane, the architect of Holy Trinity, is also credited with Little Trinity, although the Trust’s plaque text for Little Trinity speaks of early Gothic Revival without naming him, and the attribution to Lane comes from secondary sources.
Later buildings moved to other models. St. Andrew’s is a Romanesque Revival design by William G. Storm, and the City designated it on both architectural and historical grounds. St. Paul’s Basilica was built in an Italian Romanesque manner under Bishop Timothy O’Mahony and architect Joseph Connolly. Metropolitan United, by Henry Langley, is a High Victorian Gothic building that the Trust has called the “Cathedral of Methodism.”
Fire, rebuilding, and unfinished work
Several of these buildings are not simple survivors of their first design. St. James replaced an earlier church lost to fire in 1849. A competition drew eleven entries, and the Gothic Revival scheme by Cumberland and Ridout won. The budget did not cover the full tower, and the spire was added in the 1870s to a design by Henry Langley.
The transepts of St. Michael’s were never finished, as its provincial plaque notes, and the tower and spire were begun in 1867. Little Trinity was gutted by fire in 1961 and then restored to its early proportions. Metropolitan United burned in 1928 and was rebuilt on the same foundations, keeping its tower. A date in a guidebook can therefore refer to the first construction, a completion, or a rebuilding.
Heritage protection and what it means
Four of the seven buildings appear in the Trust’s Ontario Heritage Act Register as individually designated under Section 29 of the Act, each by a municipal by-law: St. James (By-law 588-77, registered September 26, 1977), Holy Trinity (By-law 13-77, enacted January 17, 1977), St. Andrew’s (By-law 496-81, registered August 10, 1981), and Metropolitan United (By-law 1250-2007, registered November 20, 2007). Designation lets the City review changes to the property. It does not by itself decide how a congregation worships or who owns the building.
For St. Michael’s, Little Trinity, and St. Paul’s, this section does not claim a designation, because no register entry confirming one was found. Toronto’s built-heritage database describes Little Trinity as listed, not designated, while the City has designated the neighboring rectory at 417 King Street East.
Where the sources disagree
Holy Trinity is the clearest case. The Trust register gives construction as 1846 to 1857, while the plaque and most histories date the church to its consecration in 1847. Both can be correct if the later date reflects finishing work.
St. James has a smaller disagreement. The Canadian Encyclopedia says the tower was not complete until 1875, while other accounts give 1873 to 1874 for the spire. For Little Trinity, the plaque says regular services began on February 18, 1844, and another local history gives February 14. This section follows the plaque.
Questions about Toronto’s historic churches
Which is the oldest church in Toronto?
Little Trinity Church at 425 King Street East, according to an Ontario Heritage Trust plaque. The plaque says the congregation was founded in 1842 and that regular services began in 1844.
Which Toronto churches are cathedrals?
Two of the seven. St. James is the Anglican cathedral and St. Michael’s is the Roman Catholic cathedral. St. Paul’s holds the separate rank of minor basilica, granted by Pope John Paul II on August 3, 1999.
Are these churches open to visitors?
Hours differ by parish and season, and worship services take priority. The parish or archdiocese website is the reliable place to confirm visiting times.
Related reading
- Verified table of historic Toronto churches
- Historic buildings of Toronto
- An overview of Toronto’s history
- Toronto’s history in outline
- Toronto history hub
All pages in this section
The section continues on numbered pages that keep the earlier listings.
- Historic churches of Toronto, part 1
- Historic churches of Toronto, part 2
- Historic churches of Toronto, part 3
- Historic churches of Toronto, part 4
- Historic churches of Toronto, part 5
- Historic churches of Toronto, part 6
Last verified: October 2026
Sources
- Ontario Heritage Trust, Ontario Heritage Act Register entries for 106 King Street East, 56 Queen Street East, 19 Trinity Square, and 75 Simcoe Street, and provincial plaques for St. Michael’s Cathedral, the Church of the Holy Trinity, and Little Trinity Church
- Archdiocese of Toronto, St. Paul’s Basilica, “Our History”
- The Canadian Encyclopedia, “St. James’ Anglican Cathedral”
- Dictionary of Canadian Biography, “Thomas, William”
- City of Toronto, By-law 1250-2007 (Metropolitan United Church)
Cite this page
APA: History of Toronto. (2026, October 23). Historic Churches of Toronto: A Guide to the Section. http://localhost:8210/history/churches
MLA: “Historic Churches of Toronto: A Guide to the Section.” History of Toronto, 23 Oct. 2026, http://localhost:8210/history/churches. Accessed .
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