In the May 23, 1879 issue of the Hamilton Spectator, an announcement was published giving the time and date of the corner stone laying ceremony planned for Hamilton’s new Baptist Church.
The church, already being constructed at the corner of James street south and Jackson street, was, in the opinion of the Spectator writer, expected to be “a monument to the enterprise of the congregation and an ornament to the city.”
The ceremony was to be held at 11 a.m. on the Queen’s Birthday holiday, Monday May 26, 1879. The corner stone was to be ceremonially laid by a former Canadian prime minister, the Honorable Alexander Mackenzie, who was also asked to deliver a speech on the occasion.
The site selected for the new Baptist Church was an ideal location, but the lot was rather shallow for the size of the church being planned.
The lot, the Spectator described, was only 115 feet from front to back : “with this disadvantage, and the fact of a spacious church being required, the architect had to put forth his powers to accommodate the congregation conveniently, and, at the same time, to give the building a thoroughly ecclesiastical and artistic treatment. This he evidently has done with a master hand, subordinating the various parts to the grand whole and harmonizing them with one another, preserving an admirable proportion throughout.”
The exterior of the new Baptist church was designed to be particularly impressive: “with its solid walls, bold shadowy projections and recesses, fine clerestory and stately tower.”
The church’s tower was designed to compliment the existing structures in the neighborhood of the new church: “it will be considerably larger than the neighboring tower of St. Paul’s church, although the spire of the latter attains a higher elevation. Care has been taken in designing the tower of the Central Baptist church, so as not to mar the effect of the spire of St. Paul’s, and at the same time giving the former a striking character of its own.”
A temporary flooring had been laid down in the partially-constructed building to accommodate the dignitaries assembled for the corner stone laying ceremony.
The opening hymn was heartily sung by the large audience, feeling that the lyrics expressed well their sentiments for the new church:
“Builder of mighty worlds on worlds,
How poor the house must be,
That with our human, sinful hands,
We may erect for Thee.
O Christ, Thou are our Corner Stone,
On Thee our hopes are built;
Thou are our Lord, our Light, our Life,
Our Sacrifice for Guilt.
In Thy blest name we gather here,
And to Thine honor raise,
An earthly temple on this stone.
To echo to Thy praise.
Peace be within its sacred walls,
Prosperity be here.
Long smile upon thy people, Lord,
And evermore be near.”
Rev. P. Hope, of Beamsville, read the lesson, followed by Rev. Dr. Burns who led a prayer described in the Spectator as “earnestly pleading for the safe completion of the structure and the prosperity of this and all other churches having the spread of the gospel in view.”
Deacon W. J. Copp, chairman of the Building Committee, was the next speaker and he gave the following outline describing the development of the new building:
“In the building of churches, there are many difficulties to encounter, and although the Baptist congregation have long delayed the erection of a new place of worship, they had surrounded by difficulties. The first was ways and means, but they have been encouraged, not only by the subscriptions of those of their members who were in good circumstances, but even the poorest had given their mite, and the committee felt encouraged. Then there was the difficulty of finding a suitable site and of agreeing on plans etc. They had no fewer than twenty designs before them, all sent in anonymously, and the committee had adopted almost unanimously that sent by Mr. Connolly. The church is of pure Gothic style. It has been modernized a little, and although it may not altogether please the architect, it had been resolved to put in seats of the circular description, as being the most comfortable. He had no hesitation in stating that the erection of a building in this neighbourhood would greatly beautify and add to the appearance of this part of the city. They must not, however, forget the great object for which the church is erected; “for except the Lord build the house, the laborers build in vain.” Unless the church is filled with the faithful followers of Christ, unless the Sunday school has earnest and true teachers, and the young hearts which assemble in the school are drawn out towards the Savior, and souls are saved, we shall utterly fail in the great work we are undertaking. The church is erected for the good of souls; and wee are supplicating today that the Lord will bless our efforts, and that many precious souls may be saved in this place.”
At this point, the following items were lowered into the corner stone : copies of the following newspapers (the Spectator, Times and Weekly Record of Hamilton, the Globe and Main of Toronto, and the Canadian Baptist), the Baptist Year Book for 1879, copies of the minutes of the last meeting of the Niagara Baptist Association, the hymn book compiled for the use of the Sunday school, a prize essay, two or three sermons published by the pastor, and specimens of the silver and copper coins of the Dominion.
Dr. Stewart read the following statement, which was also placed in the hermetically-sealed jar:
“The stone placed over the cavity in which the jar containing the document is found, was as the inscription indicates, by the Hon. Alexander Mackenzie, M. P. late Premier of the Dominion of Canada, and a member of the Baptist Denomination, on the 26th day of May, A. D. 1879, being the day observed in the city of Hamilton as the Birthday of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria; his Excellency the Marquis of Lorne being Governor-General of the Dominion of Canada; the Hon. D. A. Macdonald, Lieut.-Governor of the Province of Ontario; and J. E. O’Reilly, Esq., Mayor of the City of Hamilton. The building is erected for the use of the congregation worshipping in the Park Street Baptist Church, and is to be called the “Central Baptist Church.” The present pastor of the church is Rev. William Stewart, D. D., who entered on his duties in April, 1874. The Deacons are P. W. Dayfoot, W. D. Booker, Thomas Mason, and W. J. Copp. The treasurer is D. E. Roberts and the Church Clerk William Herald. The Trustees are W. J. Copp, Charles Gurney, P. W. Dayfoot, and W. D. Booker. The members of the Building Committee are W. J. Copp, Chairman, St. Clair Balfour, Treasurer, W. D. Booker, Secretary, together with Messrs. P. W. Dayfoot, C. Gurney, A. Copp, D. E. Roberts, D. McDermid, Henry New, G. R. Roberts, John Sirrelle, J. H. Stone, R. George, P. L. Scriven, Wm. Herald, W. H. McElcheran, John Watt, J. F. Chamberlain, S. Woodley, M. Finch, together with the pastor and one or two others. The architect is Mr. Joseph Connolly, R. I. A. I. The principal contractors are Messrs. White and Stocks, masons, Mr. G. Sharp, carpenter, Ross Brothers, painters. Mr. Wm. Herald is Clerk of Works. The corner stone is a special donation from the firm of Hurd and Roberts. Subjoined will be found a brief historical sketch of the church.
“Previous to the year 1843, the Rev. Jos. Clutton and W. Rees, Baptist ministers, who are yet living, visited the village of Hamilton occasionally, and preached to the few scattered Baptists. There was no regular, however, till May 1843, when the late Rev. A. Booker, who had been fourteen years a minister in Nottingham, England, settled here. Services were at once established, and a church of ten members, two of whom are yet in fellowship with us, was organized on the 7th of January 1844. At first, the meetings were held in the old Police Court, on King William street, and hen they were removed to the building known as Thornton’s School House. The church edifice on Park street was erected in 1846, enlarged in 1863, and again in 1871. In 1850, several members left to form a new organization, which was called the John street church and which re-united with the parent in 1857. In March of that year, the Rev. A Booker was killed in the great railroad catastrophe at the Desjardins canal, near this city. Since that time, the following ministers have been pastors of the church: Rev. Messrs. J. Burke, J. Bates, J. Crawford, F. G. Brown, R. J. Wilson, G. Richardson and Wm. Stewart. The number of members in 1858, after the reunion of the two bodies, was 120; in 1874, it was 216, and at present is 325. The resolution to build a new place of worship was adopted in 1876; but more than a year was lost in negotiations for the purchase for the purchase of a church edifice offered to the committee. Eventually, however, the present site was purchased in June, 1878, and the contract let in October of the same year. The work was immediately commenced, and at the present dates, the walls are about half up. It is expected that the building will be finished by the end of the present year.”
Mr. J. B. Dayfoot then presented the Hon. Alexander Mackenzie with a silver trowel, on which was the following inscription:
“Presented to Hon. Alexander Mackenzie, M. P. on occasion of his laying the corner stone of the Central Baptist Church, Hamilton. May 26, 1879.”
The former prime minister replied that he was exceedingly obliged for the handsome gift, and that he was honored to be present on such an auspicious occasion.
The actual laying of the block cut of Ohio stone in the northeast corner of the structure was then completed, after which Mr. Mackenzie resumed his address to the assembled citizens.
Mr. Mackenzie told the crowd that he was regretful that the pressures of his public life left little time for work for the welfare of the Baptist church, of which he was a proud member.
Mr. Mackenzie replied to the critics who felt that it was of little importance whether churches be beautiful places of worship or mere plain structures in which to assemble: “surely it is not asking too much that we, who believe in and worship Him who is the Ruler and the Architect of the Universe should construct creditable places of worship. It is of great importance that our churches should be in no way inferior to the fine public buildings which have everywhere been erected throughout our land, and which have so much tended to elevate the public taste. Nothing was more depressing to him than to go into some parts of the country, where farmers were comfortably well off, and see the churches much inferior to the homes in which the farmers themselves live.”
The speaker then discussed the reasons why he was a Baptist. He felt it was nearer to the Scriptural idea of a Church than any other denomination. He welcomed the uniform liberty of action permitted by the Baptist church. Because the speaker believed in the non-interference of the State with the Church, the speaker welcomed the toleration of the Baptists: “he didn’t say that there were no Baptists who were narrow and intolerant; but he believed the body to be generally free from those faults.”
While professing his Baptist convictions, the speaker at the same time expressed his beliefs that there was room for all Christian denominations, and that in dealing with each other, people “should by no rivalry, which was contrary to the spirit of the Saviour’s teaching. It had been his lot during his public life to meet with men of all religious denominations, and he had had his views enlarged and broadened by intercourse with other men; and some of the most estimable of these were not Protestants but connected with the Roman Catholic church.”
Mr. Mackenzie pointed out that in the Old Country a great deal of intolerance prevailed partly because there was a State church: “the battle of equal rights to all denominations has been fought and won in Canada, and the humblest Church stands on as good footing as the largest Church in the land.
Mr. Mackenzie concluded wish a wish that when the new Hamilton Baptist Church was completed, it would enjoy abundant prosperity.
Mr. F. E. Kilvert was the next speaker.
“If Hamilton could be proud of her material advantages,” Kilvert said, “she could also boast of her churches. It might well be named ‘The City of Churches.’ Within the last ten years, most of our magnificent ecclesiastical structures had been built, and the present is a sign that this denomination is keeping pace with the general progress.”
His Worship Mayor O’Reilly said that it sometimes occurred to him that it would be a delightful thing if there was one spiritual belief but he then said, “no doubt their was an all-wise purpose in their having, whilst all seeking the same end, different methods of pursuing their spiritual welfare.”
The mayor congratulated the Baptists on “the auspicious commencement of their laudable work,” and expressed “his hope that the building would be successfully completed.”
The Hon. Adam Hope gave a number of reminiscences of early Hamilton and stated that when he came to Hamilton there were but two churches in the city. The speaker regarded the erection of so many magnificent churches as “the outcome of the healthy rivalry arising out of the voluntary principle. It would be a great misfortune if they had uniformity of faith, because the people would not have much incentive to progress.”
Adam Brown rose to offer neighborly congratulations to Dr. Stewart and the Baptist congregation of Hamilton. He fully agreed with the remarks of Mr. Mackenzie on the necessity of all being more tolerant in their religious views.
Mr. Brown said that he was glad that Hamilton was taking “the foremost ranks in the steps to put down intolerant rivalry of creeds.” He concluded by expressing his hope that the “noble edifice now under construction would be speedily brought to a successful completion.”
Rev. Dr. Stewart was the last speaker. He began by thanking all the previous speakers for their kind words. The pastor noted that while his church had never appealed for funds from those outside of the Baptist denomination, he had received a cheque for $100 from a gentleman not connected with the church.
Dr. Stewart said that he had heard a good deal about the voluntary system at the ceremony and told those present that “they would have an opportunity of showing whether they believed in it as they left by the gangway, where were placed two collection plates.”
With the singing of a verse of the national anthem, the corner stone laying ceremony for Hamilton’s new Baptist church were concluded.
At 3:15 p.m., September 10, 1879, a terrible accident occurred at the construction of the Baptist church.
John Sullivan, a labourer, was carrying stone by wheelbarrow to stone mason John Langdon, who was working on a scaffold sixty feet up.
As later described in the Weekly Times, Sullivan, becoming tired, “put down the wheelbarrow in such a sudden manner as to cause a jar, which, taken in connection with the weight on the scaffold, proved too much for the putlocks, and they first cracked, then broke, and twenty-four feet of the structure fell to the ground, a distance of sixty feet.”
Laborer John Sullivan fell, while still holding on to the wheelbarrow. One of the 70 lb. stones which Sullivan was carrying in the wheelbarrow struck him on the head, smashing his skull.
The Spectator reporter who had rushed to the scene of the accident noted that seconds after the scaffold had given way, the two men were “two helpless, bleeding masses of inanimate clay.”
At the homes of the men who had met such sudden, unexpected deaths, the scenes were heartrending.
John Sullivan lived on Catharina street, near the corner of Walnut, with his wife and six children, the youngest of whom was only eighteen months old.
Mrs. Sullivan was described by the Times reporter as being frantic with grief, “while the children mourned the loss of their breadwinner as only children can mourn for the departed.”
John Langdon’s wife was already in poor health, having given birth only a few weeks previously. The news of husband’s death was particularly hard for her to bear.
Both of Hamilton’s newspapers immediately declared that the accident was the result of defective scaffolding.
The Spectator described the manner by which the scaffolding in question had been put in place: “the scaffold was constructed in the usual way, a framework of poles forming the outer side, to which putlocks were stretched from the wall, and on these were laid a platform of planks.”
Immediately after the 24 section of scaffolding had given way, killing the two men, Dr. Algernon Woolverton, was called to the scene. He gave instructions that a coroner’s jury be summoned immediately.
At 5:30 p.m., the newly sworn in jury went to the scene of the accident, then went to view the bodies of the deceased.
At the coroner’s inquest, Messrs. White and Stock, the building contractors, came in for criticism. In the Weekly Times, it was noted that “both men were highly respectable, and said to be careful men, but the manner in which the scaffolding round the Baptist church has been constructed shows conclusively that somebody has blundered.”
After hearing considerable testimony, the coroner’s jury issued the following verdict:
“That the death of John Langdon and John Sullivan was caused by the breaking of a putlock used in the scaffolding, the same being defective, cross-grained and brittle, and not suitable for the purpose for which it was used. That sufficient care was not exercised in the selection of timber for the scaffolding, and we would recommend that a competent building inspector be appointed by the city to examine all buildings and scaffoldings hereafter in the city.”
By the first of December, a building inspector had not been appointed by the city, and only a church member, Mr. Joseph Herald, was overseeing the operations.
For some time, there had been rumors afloat that there were severe defects in the workmanship put into the construction of the Baptist church. From the Weekly Times it was suggested by some that “the foundations had sunk, others that the masonry was defective, and others that the church though presenting a handsome appearance was a mere shell.”
On Monday, December 1, 1879, the men employed on the building showed up for work at the usual time.
A man named Hannah, who had four men engaged in grading the site, detected sounds of crumbling and cracking emanating from the building and immediately ordered his men to pick up their tools and get away from the scene.
A few minutes later, Mr. George Sharp, who had the contract for the carpentry work at the Baptist church, entered the building to ascertain what danger might exist for the safety of his workmen, given the sounds which had been detected.
About 8:20 a.m., a large mass of material was heard to fall inside the church tower.
The news of the building’s imminent collapse quickly spread throughout the downtown. A large crowd had gathered Mr. Sharp, accompanied by a man named Wadland, entered the building.
As described in the Weekly Times: “when just as they got inside, a large mass fell and the latter gentleman retired. Mr. Sharp remained and appears to have escaped miraculously, for in another instant, the tower, walls and roof came down with a fearful crash. It was feared that a life had been lost, but all were relieved when Mr. Sharp appeared unhurt. The shocks and clouds of dust were great, and a sigh of relief escaped all present that though a thing of beauty was destroyed, yet no loves were lost.”
After the dust had cleared, it was evident that further collapses were possible, and a squad of policemen were ordered to surround the building in order the crowd, who, the Spectator noted, “many of whom seemed to be animated by a spirit of recklessness and would insist on pressing forward. The boys, especially, seemed to take great delight in stealing past and getting as near as they could, though they were repeatedly driven back.”
The Spectator reporter on the scene was shocked at the appearance of the building’s walls after the collapse: “ a glance at the standing portions of the wall and at the mass of stones on the ground revealed a state of things which deserves the severest condemnation. Instead of being firmly placed in good mortar, the stones composing the walls were laid in sand.”
The Hamilton Times in its editorial on the collapse of the Baptist church expressed the opinion that the incident highlighted the need for the appointment of a building competent inspector of public buildings: “supposing the Baptist Church to have been completed, and the collapse of the walls to have taken place whilst it was crowded with worshippers, who knows what sacrifice of life there might have been? The present seems a fitting time for those in authority to earnestly consider the matter, and to take such steps as shall, if possible, prevent similar accidents to those which have occurred in connection with the construction of the Baptist Church.”
In its lengthy editorial on the accident, The Spectator severely condemned the construction practices used in erecting the Baptist church: “looking at the crumbled mass one does not wonder how the walls gave way, but how they came to stand long enough to have the top stone put on them. Practical men who have been examining the building for several days past assure us that in many places they could remove the interior stones with their hands.”
The Spectator editorial writer demanded to know how such poor construction methods were allowed to be used in a public building. The public, the editorial writer insisted, had a right to be protected against such contractors: “it is appalling to think of such a disaster happening with the congregation in their pews. Had it occurred under such circumstances, we should have had to chronicle the loss of a good many hundreds of lives. Had there been people passing in front of it when it fell, instant death would have been their fate. These are rather serious considerations to ponder over; they make the matter a public one and we cannot stop to spare anyone’s feelings in the recital of it.”
The person specifically singled out in the Spectator editorial was Mr. Joseph Herald, a piano manufacturer and a member of the Baptist congregation who was the inspector of the building’s construction, and a man who gave his superintendence for free as a contribution towards the erection of the church: “all who know him will admit that he is a thoroughly conscientious gentleman and a first class mechanic in his own line, but making pianos and building churches are widely different things, and require widely different kinds of knowledge and experience.”
As regards the contractors hired for the project, White and Stock of Wellington Square, the Spectator editorial writer could not find what he called “a shadow of excuse for them. If they are practical men at all, they willfully sinned against the rules of their calling. They knew that they were not doing honest work. If they are not practical men, then they are gravely culpable for undertaking what they did not understand, and did so at risk to others.”
The “spirit of cheapness” ruled those who were involved in the erection of the church, the Spectator editorial went on to say, “to that spirit the lives of two men were sacrificed in the falling of the scaffolding some time ago, and to that spirit, the building itself has now fallen a victim.”
Architecturally, the new church was to have been one of the finest ecclesiastical structures in the city, but “such buildings cannot be erected on the Cheap Jack plan. There is no royal road to fine buildings any more than there is to other things which are the best of their kind.”
The Spectator editorial writer then addressed the general desire for an inspector of buildings empowered by the municipal government. Feeling that the self interest of the contractors should be more than enough to prevent them putting up buildings which could fall down. The municipal government of Hamilton could not easily afford paying for a municipal inspector of buildings: “Hamilton is not a New York or Philadelphia and must deny itself some of the conveniences which these larger places enjoy, because of their expense.”
Finally, the editorial writer for the Spectator warned the general public to not deal with building contractors based on the lowest tender alone: “it will probably suffice for the present to impress upon the public mind that when a contractor takes a contract at a price below what it can be honestly done for, he does not mean to do it honestly.”
In the weeks and months after the collapse of the Baptist church tower and walls, the congregation set about to raise further funds to have the walls rebuilt and the building repaired.
It was recommended that the tower should not be rebuilt.
Mr. John Webber was hired as the contractor for the building’s repair work. He was given full power, and as much money, as he needed to satisfactorily complete the building.
As described in the Spectator, “the reconstruction and finishing of the church was slowly proceeded with, everything being done with a view of thorough workmanship, even to the most minute details, and the result is that today the James Street Baptist Church building is a strong and handsome piece of architecture, having stood exposure to wind and weather for many months without suffering therefrom in any way.”
On Sunday, April 2, 1882, the long-suffering Baptist congregation of Hamilton for the first time occupied their new place of worship.
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