16 West Ave S

Former Church of St. Thomas

DesignatedHamilton, Ontario · Register as of October 12, 2026

Is it a heritage property?

Yes. 16 West Ave S, Hamilton is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, Part IV (as an individual property).

Designation is the strongest protection under the Act and is not affected by the January 1, 2027 deadline. Source: City of Hamilton — Heritage Properties, as of October 12, 2026.

A place of worship. Many are being sold or closed; see Regeneration Works for ways to keep them in community use, and other places of worship at risk.

At a glance

Year built: 1869
Architect or builder: Albert H. Hills
Architectural style: Gothic Revival
Heritage neighbours: 1 other heritage property within 100 m
Designation: Part IV (individual property)
By-law: 92-239
Ward: Ward 3
Location: Matched to the municipal address

CONTEXT The Church of St. Thomas, built in 1869-1870, is located at the south-west corner of Main Street East and West Avenue South in the Stinson Neighbourhood. Although little remains along this section of Main of the former streetscape of late 19th and early 20th century buildings, which once included First United Church (now the site of the high-rise development known as First Place), the Church of St. Thomas…Statement of cultural heritage value, from City of Hamilton — Heritage Properties · full text at the source

Building details from the municipality's register unless marked otherwise.

Elsewhere on the record

16 West — Photo: JFVoll, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wikidata

Matched by address from Wikidata (CC0). Community-edited: check it against the municipality's records.

Condition on the ground

No condition reports yet.

A vacant or neglected heritage building can be reported to the municipality's property standards or by-law office (311 in most cities). Photos must be taken from public property and must not show people.

Community collection

No historic photos, documents or recollections yet. Do you have one?

Development applications

Site Plan · filed in 2016 · ApprovedAbout 42 m away, at 18 West Ave S · DA-16-167To demolish the existing 2 sty bldg and build a 3 sty non-profit apartment bldg with 23 affordable dwelling units for rent and 11 surface parking spaces.
Formal Consultation · filed in 2015 · ApprovedAbout 42 m away, at 18 West Ave S · FC-15-110To demolish the existing building and construct a 16 unit Townhouse or 35 unit multiple dwelling.
Site Plan · filed in 2001 · ApprovedAbout 45 m away, at 18 West Ave S · DA-01-013

From municipal open data (City of Hamilton Open Data Licence). An application is a proposal; it doesn't change the property's heritage status. Nearby means within 50 m.

History on this site

October 5, 2026First recorded as designated

Source: City of Hamilton — Heritage Properties, as of October 12, 2026.

Contains public sector Data made available under the City of Hamilton's Open Data Licence.

Not legal advice. Confirm status with the municipality.