St. George's Anglican Church

St. George's Church is a neo-Gothic design of Toronto architect, J.A. Ellis (the style is denoted as neo-Gothic as a description common to the twentieth century mediaeval revival, to differentiate it from the Gothic Revival of the nineteenth century and the Gothique and Picturesque of the eighteenth century).  When Gerald Hayward saw Ellis's blueprint, he disdainfully called the proposed belfry a "pepper box" and drew a pencil sketch of his own design.  The building committee, however, rejected Hayward's tower design, until St. Peter's Church, Cobourg, donated a large bell for the new church.  Its great weight could only be accommodated in Hayward's substantial tower so Ellis redrew his plans according to Hayward's design , generously charging half his fee ($100) and donating it to the new church.

St. George's is built of local cobblestone and the foundation and bell tower were constructed of contrasting cut stone, squared and pointed.  Patterned block and cast-in-place concrete dressings complete surrounds to openings, crenelations to tower, caps to buttresses and a plinth course.  The church form is two-cell type of nave and chancel with sanctuary.  A tower at the north-west corner serves as the principal entrance with a secondary entrance through a closed-in porch over the basement doorway beneath the chancel.

Inside, the high semi-vaulted ceiling is outlined with dark, stained, ornamental trusses, supported by wooden corbels.  A stained glass window, The Easter Morn, an outstanding example of the work of the Luxfer Prism Company of Toronto, occupies the east wall above the alter.  In the west wall of the nave is another large stained glass memorial window, designed by Lewis Davis, an English artist.  The side windows exhibit contemporary glazing of leaded glass incorporating the tulip motif of the Art Nouveau period.

The chancel, nave and sanctuary are wainscoted with v-jointed narrow planks.  The oak pews, alter, choir stalls, Bishop's chair and other furniture are crafted in the Gothic style ornamental with quatre-foil tablet flowers.  These attractive appointments were made after the designs of Augustus Welby Pugin (1812-1852).  Pugin was a famous English architect and noted crusader for the revival of "the True Principles of Pointed or Christian Architecture."  He held the opinion that Gothic design embodied Christian symbolism and classical design, the symbolism of pagans.