Reverend William Crompton, a travelling missionary, founded an Anglican mission at Magnetawan in 1880. Later that same year, construction began on this church. Built on the Old Nipissing Colonization Road at a time of tremendous growth in the area, the church provided a spiritual centre for the local community and served as an important meeting place for settlers. The building is a fine example of Carpenter Gothic, a late-19th-century architectural style that incorporated Gothic-inspired elements on wood-framed buildings. Resting on an outcropping of Precambrian bedrock and built with local timber; the church's location, architectural form and materials connect it to the natural landscape. A.J. Casson, a member of the Group of Seven, captured the iconic, picturesque qualities of this church in his painting Anglican Church at Magnetawan. St. George the Martyr has become a significant landmark and a symbol of the cultural and natural foundations upon which much of the province developed.

Location

On the grounds of St. George the Martyr Anglican Church, 124 Sparks Street, Magnetawan

Themes

• Arts and culture
• Buildings and structures
• Religion