Housed in the historic St. John’s United Church, Arts Hub Brockville’s “Save the Stage” project will restore the original oak façade and expand the stage and reviving a cultural landmark and creating space for inspiring performances for generations to come.
Save the Stage
St. John's United Church
Arts Hub Brockville
Arts Hub Brockville’s Save the Stage project will restore a defining feature of our historic venue while making it fully accessible and ready for the future. By replacing a temporary stage extension with a permanent, level surface, and carefully conserving the original 1900 oak paneling and repositioning it as the front facing stage skirt on the new stage extension we are protecting the authentic craftsmanship and the character of this landmark space. At the same time, the addition of discreet, barrier-free access ensures the stage can be used by everyone in our community. This is a practical, achievable project that completely respects the past while meeting today’s needs.
Arts Hub Brockville represents a powerful opportunity to demonstrate how heritage conservation can meaningfully serve evolving community needs. The “Save the Stage” project champions heritage conservation by preserving a landmark of architectural and cultural significance. Through the careful restoration of the stage, including the showcasing of the original 1900 oak panelling, it will stand as a model for how historic places can be sensitively renewed for future generations.
Arts Hub Brockville has clearly established the need for this facility: in 2025 the building hosted events on 310 days of the year, delivered 45 days of in-person educational arts workshops, and welcomed approximately 17,500 visitors as performers, artists, and audience members.
St. John’s United Church stands as a defining landmark in Brockville. Founded as a Church of Scotland congregation in 1835, the current stone building, constructed in 1851–52, reflects the city’s early Scottish roots through its restrained Gothic Revival design. After a fire in 1898 destroyed much of the interior, the congregation rebuilt and fully restored the space by 1900.
St. John’s evolved with the community, becoming part of the United Church of Canada in 1925. Today, that legacy continues through Arts Hub Brockville, which has reimagined the building as a vibrant centre for arts and culture.
With its remarkable stained glass, historic oak craftsmanship, and exceptional acoustics, St. John’s remains a rare and treasured heritage asset. This project builds on nearly two centuries of resilience, ensuring this iconic space continues to serve and inspire the community for generations to come.
