St. Peters Seminary was built on land originally owned by Sir Phillip Pocock, who donated it to the Catholic Church. Located within Sunshine Park in North London, the land is reminiscent of a large, sprawling campus and features breathtaking views of the north branch of the Thames River, a Canadian Heritage River. Sir Phillip is notable for having made many significant contributions to the Catholic Church and other charities, and for receiving a papal knighthood for his efforts. St. Peters Seminary was originally founded in 1912 by Bishop Michael Francis Fallon, with the intention to provide a place to educate students in the sacred sciences and to provide ecclesiastical training for clerical students of the Diocese of London. The Seminary moved from the old Bishops Palace to the larger Waterloo Street location in 1926. Today, the Seminary is affiliated with Kings University College at the University of Western Ontario. St. Peters Seminary was designed in the Collegiate Gothic architectural style by the Windsor architectural firm of Pennington and Boyde, with associate J.W. Leighton as the lead and Pigott Construction Company of Hamilton as the builders. The building is comprised of four wings adjoining a central tower. Typical of the Collegiate Gothic style, the Seminary features a steeply pitched roof punctuated by gabled dormers. Also of note is the two-leaf front entry, which includes rich gothic-inspired carvings in Tyndall stone, a transom forming the characteristic Gothic lancet arch, delicate tracery and a carved border of grape clusters. The rotunda forms an impressive entrance lobby to the Seminary, with its travertine construction and Verde marble floors. Intricate carvings, areas for religious statues and commemorative plaques are evident throughout the interior of the Seminary. The Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas, located within St. Peters Seminary, is a fine example of the English Gothic style of architecture. Typical of this style, the interior of the Chapel features intricate wood carvings and tableaux and stained glass. An inscription of Bishop Fallons motto, “Peace and Justice”, and his coat of arms in the gallery of the Chapel stand as reminders to the bishops significant contributions to the Seminary. It is a heritage property.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 00:24:22 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015