(Former) Metropolitan Methodist Church - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada - Methodist Churches on Waymarking.com

The first Wesleyan missionaries arrived in Victoria in 1859. The local Wesleyan Methodist congregation initially held their services in the police building, but soon began to work on building their own church. That first church - at the corner of Pandora Avenue and Broad Street - had its cornerstone laid in 1859.

By the 1880s, the congregation was outgrowing their church. A site was acquired here at the corner of Pandora Avenue and Quadra Street for $30,000 and construction of a new $90,000 church began in 1889. The inaugural service was held on May 17, 1891.

The church is built in the Romanesque Revival style, with imposing towers, high gables, and a large 7-petalled rose window. The stone used to build the church was quarried from the Koksilah area in the Cowichan Valley, 40 kilometres to the north.

The church became the Metropolitan United Church in 1925 after the merger of the Methodist, Congregationalist, and Presbyterian churches into the United Church of Canada. This led to there being two United churches in close proximity, with the First United Church just two blocks to the north. In 1997, the two congregations amalgamated to create the First Metropolitan United Church, with the other church to the north as the home. The Metropolitan United Church was sold to the Victoria Conservatory of Music for $2 million, and they moved in once renovations were completed in 1998. The renovations included the creation of the Alix Goolden Performance Hall in the former church, a concert hall that is used frequently for public performances.

The church was designated a heritage building in 1979.

Active church?: No Year Built: 1890 Website: [Web Link] Service times: Not listed

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