St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Ottawa
Encyclopedia
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
was established in 1910 with 66 members. The first building was erected on Lyon Street and dedicated on Easter Sunday in 1914. The early members were predominantly of European origin, whether residents of Ottawa, recent immigrants, or arrivals from neighbouring towns and rural communities.
After many years of financial hardship, the congregation gradually increased and outgrew its church building. The present building was dedicated in 1954. It is situated on Ottawa's ceremonial route and overlooks the Garden of the Provinces, the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
and the Gatineau Hills
Gatineau Hills
The Gatineau Hills are a geological formation in Canada that makes up part of the southern tip of the Canadian Shield, and acts as the northern shoulder of the Ottawa Valley...
. St. Peter's is an Ottawa landmark, designed in traditional Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style, the architect was Cecil Burgess. The sandstone was cut from the same quarry as stone used for the Parliament buildings.
The most significant interior features are the Casavant organ
Casavant Frères
Casavant Frères is a prominent Canadian company in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, which has been building fine pipe organs since 1879. As of 2008, they have produced over 3800 organs.- Company history :...
, installed in 1977, and a cycle of stained glass windows
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
, created by Canadian artist Russell Goodman between 1985 and 1993. The windows focus on the life of Christ and the Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
heritage.