Those working behind the scenes at Knox Presbyterian Church here are positioning themselves as the stop to see during this weekend’s Doors Open Wellington North event.
Congregation member Beverly Johnston and her committee have been working hard since March to gather community and church history – with a special emphasis on local First World War veterans.
Johnston says it hasn’t been an easy journey, having only a few names to go on, but with help from the Wellington and Dufferin archives, along with area families, they have successfully constructed numerous displays chronicling the community’s ties to WWI and the church. They have also specifically traced the stories of a number of area veterans, of which two are memorialized on a plaque erected in the church.
“What we have tried to do is bring them to life and bring their memory to the forefront,” Johnston says. “Reading the stories and seeing these men come alive, I’ve shed tears over a number of them.”
Originally named “North Luther” Knox Presbyterian Church was first built in 1867. The building was constructed of logs and the congregation sat on benches. Soon after it was built, the original structure burned to the ground and was replaced by a rough-cast building until the present day church could be completed in 1892.
Many ancestors of original pioneer families still attend services in Conn and Johnston says their stories have been invaluable to piecing together the history project.
“We’ve had really good participation from families who are obviously interested in letting someone else know their history,” she says. “They’ve contributed pictures and such. We’ve had a little bit of oral history as well.”
One of the committee’s goals going into Doors Open was to reassure passersby that the church is still open and the congregation is thriving after nearly 150 years.
“We want them to know, while there’s a rich and varied history here, we’d (also) like them to see the congregation progressing through the years,” she says. “They had families and contributed to the community and their children live here.”
Pastor Mark Burns says it’s about recognizing the community’s progress and remembering where they came from.
“There’s a sense of roots. As you drive around the community and come to understand the history that’s part of it, it’s something you don’t see when you’re whipping through on Highway 89,” he says. “This was Ontario, this was Canada – all these little towns and villages – and we kind of forget that, so this helps us reconnect.”
Knox Presbyterian Church is located at 8015 Highway 89 in Conn and will be open from 10am to 4pm on Sept. 27 for the Wellington North Culture Days event. Tea and homemade snacks will be served following the tour.
For information visit doorsopenontario.on.ca/Events/Wellington-North.aspx.
