Go back to Home page and map

Nominated name: EPWORTH MANSE LANE

Nominated by:
Sheila Conlin and Doreen Moor-Mapes

Suggested Location:
City Lane Number: #0401
Described Location: Bound by: Follis, Palmerston Ave., Olive and Bathurst. Runs N-S between Follis and Olive.
Looking east from Christie St. Looking west from Clinton St.

Rationale and References:

To commemorate 122 years of Protestant congregations who held services in the Epworth Methodist, later United Church. What began as the Christie Street Mission around 1883, in a wooden structure at the northeast corner of Christie and Yarmouth Road, served the poor and working class families of Seaton Village. As the population and congregation grew, a permanent brick church was begun in 1886 as designed and built by architect Henry Bauld Gordon (1854-1951) with the firm of Gordon & Helliwell of Toronto. It was officially opened on August 2nd, 1890.

The Manse built behind the Church was first used by the Pastoral family and in later years by the caretaker of the Church which included an underground tunnel to the Church’s basement for easy winter access.

Located at 40 Yarmouth Road, Epworth Methodist Church served the Seaton community from 1887 to 1924, becoming Epworth United Church in 1925. At one point in its life, Epworth United Church could boast of a Sunday school of over 500 children. It has also been one of the rare Churches that maintained the same Minister, Reverend Richard V. Kendall M.A. B.D. who served the Congregation for over 44 years. He lived throughout his service with his family at 588 Clinton St., at the southwest corner with Yarmouth Rd. He retired in 1977.

By the late 1970’s the Congregation numbers were declining and in 1979, with the acceptance of the United Church Presbytery of Toronto, formed a three point Congregation with St. Matthews Church on St. Clair Ave. West and Oakwood Church. This kept the Church in the area but a Minister and staff were shared by all three. Finally in 1980, with the decision being made by the Congregation, it was decided that it could no longer remain as a United Church and amalgamated with St. Matthews. Epworth was sold to the “East Toronto Korean Presbyterian Church” and remained as their Church for 25 years. The Epworth Manse continued to be used by Pastoral families until 1990 when it too was sold by the United Church. The Church was sold around 2005 and bought by a developer and torn down to make room for houses, thus ending a 122 year presence of a church at Christie St. and Yarmouth Road.

Research provided by Ms. Doreen Moor-Mapes, Board member of the Community History Project.