A 49-year-old man is in custody after he allegedly attempted to set fire to St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Hamilton, built in the 1850s and federally designated as a national historic site.

Police were called to the church, located at 70 James Street South, just after 4 p.m. on Dec. 31 for reports of a fire.

Upon arrival, police and fire personnel located incendiary material and evidence of arson.

Leslie Cleave, of no fixed address, has been charged with four offences, including arson with disregard for human life and failure to comply with a probabtion order. 

St. Paul’s says on its website that the church has been a key part of the Hamilton community since it was built over 150 years ago. 

“We take immense pride in our history and our church buildings, which feature pristine elements of Neo-Gothic and Neo-Classical architecture, including a massive all-oak balcony, a 180-foot all-stone spire, and an 11 bell chime weighing almost 6000 kilograms.”

Hamilton police are asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Detective Constable Shaun Fennessy at 905-540-3819, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.