FERGUS – Allan Hons led the way from the parking lot doors through a warren of hallways and stairways and joked that this part of Melville United Church is like Hogwarts, the school of Harry Potter fame.
He promised the effort to get on the flat roof of the “new” section of the historic building would be worth it – and he didn’t lie.
One tippy chair and one enormous leg stretch out a window later and voila – the view of the Grand River and the bird’s-eye view overlooking Tower Street are both rare and stunning on a warm, sunny day in October.
He promised the view from the top of the bell tower was even more spectacular, but the trek up there requires climbing three ladders – up, up, and up again – over a three-level drop.
“It’s not for the faint of heart,” he said to a faint-hearted reporter.
Hons is chair of the church council and as Melville prepares to celebrate its 176th anniversary, the congregation is looking forward as well as looking back.
And as the world begins to re-open from pandemic restrictions, the church hopes to invite the community in as well as reach out and participate in community work.
Allan Hons, council chair of Melville United Church. Photo by Joanne Shuttleworth
“We want to be helping and visible and relevant to Centre Wellington,” Hons said.
“We want to be more than just that old building on the corner.”
Back in 1845, a deep disruption in the Presbyterian church in Scotland had spread to Canada and a portion of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Fergus broke away and formed Melville Church.
The new congregation was allowed to worship in St. Andrew’s until it had a new home.
In 1847 Melville Church, now referred to as Old Melville, was constructed near the site of the present-day tennis courts on Union Street West.
Some 50 years later membership had outgrown the original church and a new one was built at the corner of Tower and St. Andrew streets.
The cornerstone reads 1899, but the church officially opened in 1900. Built from Credit Valley stone, it towered over the village.
By 1931 Melville United was again growing and a Christian education wing – the ‘new’ portion – was added. It contains two auditoriums, a commercial kitchen, a library, the chapel and several parlours now used as meeting rooms.
Being the keeper of such an important and historic landmark is an honour, a responsibility, and frankly, a bit of a burden, Hons said.
The roof of the “new” section of Melville United Church affords a stunning view of the Grand River. Photo by Joanne Shuttleworth
The congregation collected enough money to replace and repair the stained glass windows that dominate the sanctuary.
But there’s an “ancient” boiler in the basement that needs to be replaced, Hons said, and restoration and maintenance of the century-plus building is always ongoing.
Hons said the fundraising committee would hold bake sales and garage sales, “but the one-offs aren’t cutting it anymore” and a shrinking congregation makes it harder to come up with the funds.
“Our struggle has always been the building,” he said.
If the church could get enough regular income, it could qualify for grants that could subsidize the renovations. And if church members could stop focusing on renovations, they could do the work they really want to do, which is to serve the community, he said.
So, they’re hoping to find 500 people willing to donate $10 a month to the church.
That would generate $60,000 a year for repairs and free up the congregation to work on its other goals – namely, to find a new purpose for the education wing.
Currently there’s an EarlyOn Centre that occupies a big portion of the wing and individuals and community groups do rent the auditorium and sometimes the commercial kitchen.
New stained glass windows at Melville United Church. Photo by Joanne Shuttleworth
The church offers below-market rental rates, with dance troupes, theatre groups and fitness programs among those that have taken advantage.
“But it’s space we don’t need anymore,” Hons said. “It’s a shame it’s not used every day.”
The church council is open to ideas on how it could be repurposed, Hons said.
He knows, for example, there’s a need for attainable housing in Centre Wellington.
“Attainable housing could be a goal of our congregation too,” he said.
“Our parking lot is big. I know parking is an issue in Fergus. I think there’s potential to do something great here.”
The building is historic but not formally designated as a heritage structure, Hons said.
It has been on Doors Open tours in the past, and “thousands of people have been through this building. People come inside and marvel at this place. And we love sharing it.
“If we could stop focusing on the building though, we could finally start focusing on other things.”
For more information about the church and ways to donate, visit www.melvilleunited.com.
For inquiries about the space, email secretary@melvilleunited.com.
