Dominion-Chalmers United Church
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Dominion-Chalmers United Church, 355 Cooper at O'Connor Streets, Ottawa, ON. |
Dominion Chalmers United Church is a large
United church, located in downtown
Ottawa, at the corner of Cooper and
O'Connor Streets (with access from Lisgar Street). It is a
1962 merger of two key congregations from both the
Methodist and
Presbyterian traditions, each possessing lengthy histories.
Chalmers Presbyterian/United Church, was originally
Bank Street Canada Presbyterian Church, located on nearby
Bank Street at Slater Street from
1866 to
1914.
It was renamed after
Thomas Chalmers, a leader of the
1843 disruption in the
Church of Scotland that led to the formation of the
Free Church, and in
Ottawa, their "parent" congregation of
Knox Presbyterian, is now located just two blocks east on Lisgar at
Elgin Street.
The Dominion Methodist/United Church, was located nearby at Metcalfe and Queen Streets, and its roots go back to Methodist
Circuit riders visitations in
Hull, Lower Canada from
1816, and a wooden structure built on
Rideau Street in the
Lower Town in
1827.
The Metcalfe Street building was built in 1830 as
Metcalfe Street Methodist. In 1852 this group merged with those from
Rideau Street, and the building was enlarged and renamed
The Dominion in
1876, and was destroyed in a fire in February
1961.
The Dominion-Chalmers (or
DC Church) buildings have recently undergone major renovations to their large sanctuary (damaged by a fire in
1955), and is in high demand for concerts; and for other special events, sometimes of a national nature. This is a very active congregation, with programmes for all ages.
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Official Site*
History
