Southminster United Church - Integrated Project Dossier (2014)

The Southminster United Church is located at the intersection of Bank Street and Alymer Street on the banks of the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. The site was formally home to the Ottawa South Methodist Church, which was demolished to create the Southminster Church after the consolidation of the first Methodist and Presbyterian congregations within the area. The church was built and designed in 1932 by Ottawaian architect J. Albert Ewart, using Nepean sandstone for the walls and slate tiles for the roof. The main entrance to the church along the east end holds the cornerstones of the previous Ottawa South Methodist Church and the Calvin Presbyterian Church; these were the two congregations that merged together. An addition made with the same materials as the original church was added in 1955 along the west side. The extension, known as Memorial Hall, provides space for the church offices, Christian education rooms, and other activities such as community classes and a preschool. During the 1990’s the church was renovated in order to improve accessibility, with the addition of an exterior ramp on the south side and an interior elevator. This is a student project produced for the Architectural Conservation and Sustainability Program in 2014 (Historic Site Recording)