In 1818, the district around what is now known as Davenport, consisted mainly of forests and agricultural lands. This area connected with Toronto along the old Indian “Spadunk Trail”, (today mainlyDavenport Road and Spadina Road) The trail followed and irregular course at the foot of Davenport Ridge. Settlement as it existed, was mainly along this trail. The westerly end of this forest route was known as “Bull’s Road”, named after one of the local settlers and estate owners, Bartholomew Bull.
From 1818 onwards, the settlers in the district gathered frequently at Bartholomew Bull’s log cabin for prayer meetings. The cabin was located on the Bull estate, which encompassed the area now bounded by Davenport Road north to St. Clair Avenue West, between Dufferin Street and Ossington Avenue. This property afforded and expansive view of Lake Ontario in the distance.
As a young man in England, Bartholomew’s father, John Bull, had been a close friend of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. The Davenport-Perth United Church can trace its beginings to these meetings in Bartholomes Bull’s log cabin. Between 1826 and 1840, Egerton Ryerson, a minister with the Wesleyan Methodist Church, preached frequently in Bull’s cabin. Egerton Ryerson was a brillant writer and first editor of the influential paper, the Christian Guardian. One of Ryerson’s most noteworthy achievements was to promote universal access to elementary education.
By the 1850s, the industrial and cultural life of Toronto and its surrounding agricultural regions were gaining momentum. The Davenport area had a population of more than 2,000, and brick manufacturing was developing Village of Carlton (near today’s Weston Road and St. Clair Avenue West). When the congregation outgrew Bull’s log cabin, a larger meeting place was sought.
George Cooper, Bull’s neighbour to the west, a well-to-do farmer who owned 400 acres, had built a log cabin, which he planned to donate to the Anglican Church. When the Anglicans turned down Cooper’s offer, he donated the cabin to Bartholomew and his Methodist congregation instead. This building was located on Dundas Street, somewhere on Cooper’s property. Cooper’s property encompassed the area now bounded by Bloor Street, north to St. Clair Avenue, and from Dundas Street west to Dufferin Street. Cooper eventually converted and joined the Davenport Methodist congregation.
By 1857, the Wesleyan Methodist congregation again required a larger church. George Cooper again offered a parcel of his land on which to build a new and larger building.
By 1900, the Davenport congregation had outgrown its Church building. Architect James A. Ellis was commissioned to prepare plans for the enlargement of the Church. With the exception of the east wall, which was incorporated into Ellis’s new design, the 1857 structure was demolished. The wall was retained for sentimental reasons at George Cooper’s request. The new building was square in plan with a cross-vaulted ceiling of wood trusses on iron columns. Some members of the congregation apparently left the Church because their request for a rectangular shaped building with a basement for athletics was overruled. The new building could accommodate more than 400 people. The cornerstone was laid by Mrs. T.H. Bull and Mrs. Allan Royce.
The building underwent another expansion in 1912. This time, the extension was to the rear. It included space for a pipe organ, a lengthened sanctuary and an education wing, consisting of a two-storey auditorium with encircling balconies (also used as instruction areas) and a high-ceilinged basement. The architect was David E. Smith. The alterations cost $23,128.
…from “A Meeting Place Forever” – A brief history of The Davenport-Perth United Church and it’s surrounding neighbourhood
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