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Windsor’s Assumption Church saved, will be restored!

Sun Aug 16, 2009 @ 9:01am

Assumption Church @ Night (Frontside) - Original WB

The oldest Roman Catholic Church in Canada – west of Montreal – will finally be repaired and restored.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of London announced on Saturday that Assumption Church, neighbour to the Ambassador Bridge in West Windsor, will be fully restored to ensure it continues to serve as a functional parish, and quite importantly, as an architectural icon in Windsor / Essex County.

Religious, or not, Assumption is a structure unique to our area.  The building was crafted in a style known as ‘Perpendicular Gothic’, found primarily in Europe, as well as parts of Quebec.


Assumption Church / University of Windsor 1955 Aerial

The origins of the parish date back to when Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac founded Detroit in 1701.  In 1765, the first Assumption Church (now demolished) was erected.  The present Assumption Church was constructed in the mid-1840′s, seen above in a photo of the Assumption University Campus from the mid-1950′s.


Assumption Church Interior

The stained glass windows were installed in the 1880′s, along with a fully painted ceiling.


Assumption Church 07

The costs for repairing and restoring Assumption are well over $10 million, however most of the highly necessary structural repairs come in at far less.  Each side (or envelope) of the building needs to be restored, at a cost of over one million per.  The main structural beam which connects the roof to the foundation will also be replaced.


Assumption Church 01

The Diocese of London stated Saturday that they are fully committed to seeing the restoration of Assumption, and are even playing an active role in the fundraising and repair processes – an undertaking usually seen out by each individual church.

After nearly three years of blogging about the fate of Assumption, it’s great to see that this architectural masterpiece will be preserved.

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  • http://jaleco.livejournal.com/ Krystal

    I am really happy to hear this. I am not anywhere close to being religious but this church is beautiful.

    There is nothing as lovely as watching the sun rise behind this church in the morning. The light filtering through the trees surrounding the church is just gorgeous.

    A total pick me up for super early 1C bus rides.

  • http://mentalenvironmentalist.com Calin

    I suppose we got nothing better to spend 10,000,000 dollars on… oh wait, yeah we do.

    • http://www.windsorvisuals.com Owen (westerntragedy)

      Huh?

    • http://www.windsorvisuals.com Owen (westerntragedy)

      Ah I see what you mean now…

      I’m not sure why you are left with the impression that taxpayers would be paying even a single cent of this?

      Assumption and the Diocese of London have absolutely no ties to any level of official governance. The funds to cover the costs of the repairs will come from a privately funded loan, eventually subsidized by donations and fundraising.

  • http://mylocalfoodblog.com Vicky

    Calin, the story stats, “[they] are even playing an active role in the fundraising”. I doubt that the full $10million would come from our government if any money comes from them at all. Usually funds to keep a church going comes from the church and that’s why we’ve lost so many. If money does come from our government, it’s money that’s allocated to restoration anyway and wouldn’t be given to schools, etc.

    I think it is great to see this happen.

  • http://www.mentalenvironmentalist.com Calin

    Right on. I was under the impression that the Diocese had some sort of funding from the government, but I guess I was wrong. I stand corrected!

  • Pingback: A Tour of Assumption Church – the original “Huron Church” | Windsor Visuals - a windsor photoblog

  • Diehard Westender

    Actually, The Assumption Heritage Trust ( the fundraising committee that supported by the Diocese ) is actively seeking funds from all levels of Government. It has already received a $250,000 Heritage Grant from the City of Windsor. See, you can let your property rot and then approach the taxpayers to fix it up…………a dissapointing waste of money.
    It is very important to save this building, but that expense should be on the shoulders of the Diocese alone. If the building was as precious as the Diocese claims, they wouldn’t have let it fall into such a dissapointing state of disrepair.