6 beauty

S quare in plan and painted white with green trim, the Temple of Peace is a unique frame construction building comprising three tiers from a sixty by sixty foot base to a twelve by twelve foot lantern. Each tier has tall multi-panel windows on all four sides with a small pinnacle at each corner of the roof. Every element of the Temple was intended to symbolize some aspect of the sect’s religious beliefs: the three tiers represent the Trinity; a door on each of the four sides allowed people to enter on an equal footing from all directions; equal numbers of windows on each side allowed the light of the gospel to shine on the assembly with equal strength; the four pillars supporting the lantern were inscribed with the words denoting the cardinal virtues: faith, hope, love and charity; twelve pinnacle lanterns and twelve interior pillars represent the apostles. A central space is approached from four aisles, an aisle from each doorway, holds the altar. The continuous arcade of twelve turned columns support the second tier.

Excerpt from the Ontario Heritage Foundation, Sharon Temple and The Study, Heritage Character Assessments, 1998. http://www.sharontemple.ca

ON SITE review 6: BEAUTY

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