Dally Journal - Record Centennial Edition, Friday, Kept 1, MOT I lard W ork lluilt Town's Early Churches Churches have played an im portant part in the life of Oak ville almost from the time when it was founded, 140 years ago. Oldest of the original town' s churches is St. John' s United Church, form erly the Oakville Methodist Church. This venerabl religious institution had its begin nings about the year 1832, with the formation of a small Method ist society. Services were held in homes, and in a small build ing on what is now the site of Oakville' s new Centennial civic centre. The. first minister was Rev. James Norris of Nelson Circuit of the Wesleyan Method ist Church. In 1835 a church was built on the northwest co m e r of Colbom e Street (now Lakeshore R o a d ) and Thomas Street. It was a handsome white wooden structur with a spire. Chief speaker at the opening cerem ony was Oak ville's founder, Colonel William Chisholm. SELL CHURCH A fter a few years, however, the congregation was forced to sell the building, due to financial difficulties, and it was purchased by the Anglicans. Once again, services w ere held in the form er building that had served as a meeting place. After Temperance Hall was built in 1843 the new building was used. In the early 1850's a regular church building was erected on Dunn Street, on the site of the present church. This was a fram e structure, 30 b y 50 feet, less pre tentious than the first church building. The site of the present manse, adjoining the church, was acquired in 1856 for 200 pounds. PRESENT CHURCH In 1877 plans for a new build ing were started, and the corner stone was laid on July 2 of that year before an estimated 2,000 people. This building, the present Church, was opened in 1878. A church hall, in m em ory of the late Dr. C. H. Lusk, a lead ing m em ber of the congregation and for m any years the Sunday school superintendent, was built between the church and the manse in 1923. The interior of the church was extensively r e modelled, and a new entrance built about 15 years ago. OLD TOO Nearly as old as St. John' s is the congregation of Knox Pres byterian Church. In 1833 the Presbyterians held their first service in Oakville, in a building on the Centennial civic centre site, probably the same one that was used by the Methodists. The first service, attended by just 11 people, was conducted by Rev. A. G. Gale, a missionary from Scotland. Later services were held in a cabinet m aker' s shop on the south side of Colborne Street, near Thomas. The first church, a sm all fram e building, was built on William Street in 1849. The church had large windows and a high pulpit. Below the pulpit stood the pre centor, who led tha singing with school was enlarged and a parish acquired, and the cornerstone hall erected. A new organ was o f the present building w as laid installed in 1937. A 36 - foot ex in 1891. About 30 years later tension to the church was start the congregation had decreased ed in 1955 and dedicated by the considerably in size, and for a Bishop of Niagara the following long period the sm all church was year. The parish hall was also in difficulties. LONG HAUL enlarged and renovated at this A few years ago, however, con In those days com munion serv time. ditions took a turn fo r the bet ices would last from 10 a.m . to The fifth of the churches of ter, and a num ber of much-need 2 p.m ., the children being al old Oakville, Turner Chapel, Afr ed im provem ents to the building lowed to go hom e for lunch, re ican Methodist Episcopal Church, w ere made. turning later and staying to the had its beginnings in 1875, in a BRONTE CHURCHES end of the service. building at the northwest co m e r In 1868 the church was enlarg of John and Wilson Streets built The church in Bronte now ed, and by 1887 it was deciec by tbe Congregationalists. known as Walton M em orial Unit ed grew from the Bronte Sun to erect a new building. The The m em bers o f the small day School Union Society which site selected was the property congregation used to raise m oney was started in 1845, and held its of the R oyal Oak Hotel at the by holdings balls in the old town on south - east corner of D u n n hall on N avy Street. In 1887 they first meeting in a house West Street near the old cem et and C olbom e Streets. bought the building where they The new building was erected held their services, but a year ery. by Jam es M acDonald, whose fa or two later it was burned. The congregation was formed ther had built the first church. A building site on Colborne about 1850, as part of the Traf The church was opened and ded Street west of Chisholm was algar circuit, and a fram e build icated in 1888, and today is still one of the town's outstanding buildings. the help o f a tuning-fork. The first regular minister, Rev. Jam es Nisbet, was appointed in 1850. He rem ained until 1863, when he left to serve as a m issionary in the Canadian west. NEW ORGAN A pipe organ was installed In 1894. This was the first instru ment the church had ever had, as instrumental m usic was forbid den in Presbyterian churches in Canada in the early days. In 1920 the interior of the building w as com pletely renovated, and a m od em three-manual organ re placed the original instrument. St. Andrew' s Rom an Catholic Church, built in 1840, still stands at the co m e r of Reynolds and King Streets, although consider ably enlarged and altered. A mission w as established in Oak ville in 1836 by Father W. P . McDonough from Toronto. The building site was donated by Colonel William Chisholm, Oakville' s founder, and the build ing funds were raised b y sub scription. It is said that the nam e of St. Andrew, Scotland' s patron saint, was chosen for the church out of gratitude for assistance given the mission b y Scottish Presbyterians. F or som e years the mission was attended by priests from Dundas, who served such a large territory they w ere only able to pay visits to each mission once every five weeks. built on Jones Street in 1862. pleasant surroundings on the Some time later a Sunday school Dundas Highway. w as added to the rear. F or some The building bears the date of years the church was without a 1845, but the early history of regular pastor, and services were the congregation seem s to be conducted by students from lost, as no records earlier than M cM aster University. 1874 are available. A stained Knox Sixteen Presbyterian glass window on the west side Church, on the Fourth Line just of the church com m em orate* south of the Dundas Highway, Queen V ictoria's diamond jubilee had its beginnings in 1844, when in 1897. A cairn was erected out R ev. W. McIntosh conducted a side the church to m ark its cen service in a school-house on a tenary in 1945. farm . The church was built in Another rural church whose 1846, ?md in 1850 R ev. Jam es CALVARY BAPTIST Nesbit o f Oakville was appointed origins go back to pioneer days Another Bronte church of early as the minister. In 1899 the is Munn' s United, on the Dun days was Bronte Baptist, now das Highway at the Sixth Line. church was rem odelled. m erged with Calvary Baptist. People of the district m et for The origins o f this church have religious services in a lo g schoolbeen forgotten, but its believed AMONG OLDEST house that stood on this site, in the original building stood near One of the oldest church build the eighteen-twenties. In 1844 the lake in the vifcinity o f Jones ings in Oakville is St. Luke's the school-house was replaced Street. Anglican Church in Palerm o, an with a fram e church which serv The building that served the attractive white fram e building ed until the present brick build church until the m erger was with a gothic motif, situated in ing was erected in 1898. ing was erected on the north side of Triller Street (now Lake shore R oad) and Trafalgar Street (now Bronte R oa d), where the present church now stands. Willis Walton, from whom the church gets its name, was a m em ber of the board of trustees in 1880, and for m any years was superintendent o f the Sun day School. The building, erected to his m em ory by his three sons, was dedicated on January 1914. ROSS J| STORES 1878 to 19 6 7 We too started in a small way FIRST PRIEST The land to the north of the church was bought in 1855, and a one-storey brick presbytery with basement room s was erect ed. The first resident priest Father Fitzgerald, stayed only seven months. In 1859 Rev. Jerem iah Ryan took charge of the missions of Oakville, Trafalgar, Milton and Wellington Square (now Burling ton), and St. Andrew' s grew and flourished under his direction. He was instrumental in establish ing St. M ary' s separate school in 1860, and in having the church en larged to the east about ten years later. The congregation of St. Jude' s Anglican Church got its start In the building on the Centennial civ ic site which served for m eet ings in the early days of the community. In 1842 the congreg ation purchased the Methodist church at Colbom e and Thomas Streets and altered it extensively. First rector of the church was R ev. George Winter W arr, a native of Dublin, Ireland. MORE ROOM F orty years later a larger building becam e necessary, and the present church was erected at the co m e r o f Thomas and William Streets. It was opened in 1884. In 1887 the Sunday school was added, and a tower was built in 1896. A clock and a set of chim es w ere installed in this tower in 1907. The church's interior was reno vated after a fire in D ecem ber 1913, and in 1924-25 the Sunday But we have grown and grown The Ross Store Company Limited first opened its doors in Oakville 17 years ago when they purchased the Luneau Building in downtown Oak ville. The Hopedale Plaza location is one of 6 present Ross Stores now operating in such cities as Lindsay, Welland, Trenton, Guelph and Cooksville. The original store opened in 1878 is still in its present location in Welland, Ontario. You'll find shopping at Ross Stores a real plea sure and recognize immediately why it's called your "Family Department Store". S T . A N D R E W 'S C H U R C H , B U I L T 1840 Irish church with a Scottish name SPECIAL CAR CARE THAT PAYS OFF FOR YO U From checking oil to gassing up, from cleaning wind shields to charging batteries we take pride in giving your car the best of service. Cars look better, perform better, because w e ' r e particular about every little thing we do. SERVICE COUNT ON. YOU CAN GREAT THINGS HAPPEN OWN GOOD AND FOR from WHEN PEOPLE THE G R O W T H W O R K T O G E T H E R FOR T H E I R OF T H E I R C O M M U N I T Y and the achievements of an era! such efforts come the greatness of a nation LOU'S 1416 Rebecca St. SERVICE 827-0661 | ROSS STO RES