St. James-the-less Chapel, Toronto

The Chapel of Saint James-the-less in downtown Toronto is a High Victorian Gothic Revival style funeral chapel, built in 1860 by F.W. Cumberland and Storm. The church sits on a slight rise, and has a small parish, a soaring spire, short and square bell tower, rough-cut stone walls, steeply pitched roof, low eaves, and intricate woodwork with a nave, porch, tower and transept. The building itself is made from Georgetown grey sandstone, Ohio stone trim, slate, and white brick.

The non-denominational chapel fulfills its vocation as a consecrated “mortuary chapel.” Due its slight elevation, it offers a picturesque view of the adjacent cemetery. Built in 1844, the cemetery holds about 20 historic burials which are shown on guided tours around the chapel and allowed to be photographed. The cemetery’s records, traditionally made on paper, are now scanned and stored in appropriately.

Edward, Prince of Wales planted a peach tree at the entrance to the chapel during his visit in 1919.

As a non-profit organization, this chapel collects revenue and invests it into its own development and maintenance. The regular life-cycle program takes care of the maintenance and repairs of the building. In 2002, a major refurbishment was done wherein the stone work was cleaned and woodwork re-varnished, the stained glass and furniture were also sent for repair and cleaning. The renovated chapel is now open for visitors.

In 1990, the city declared the Chapel of Saint James-the-less a National Historic site.