COLONIAL MEETING HOUSES

Historic Beaverdams Church  circa 1832

This two-storey frame church is characterized by a New England meetinghouse style construction, an almost a square plan, paired entrances for men and women, arched ceiling and flanking galleries (concealed in the 1890s) and minimal – but skillfully wrought – ornamentation. Today, it is one of the oldest Methodist churches still standing in Ontario.

The church received formal designation by the Ontario Heritage Foundation in 1965 and is also protected under the Ontario Heritage Act.

It was bought by the City of Thorold in 2010.

Visitors come each year to this popular destination to explore the adjoining graveyard and to take in the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding Lake Gibson Corridor, uniquely showcasing flora and fauna associated with the Carolinian vegetation zone of the Niagara Escarpment.

FRESH FACT
The central focus of every New England town was the meetinghouse. These structures were typically financed through taxation, and were usually the largest building in the town. They were used both for religious worship, and for conducting town business. They were always very simple buildings, with no statues, decorations, or stained glass. Not even a cross hung on the wall. After all, before they left, the Puritans broke all of the stained glass in the cathedrals in England!

Here are some amazing photos from FRESH BRICK follower Leanne Pluthero

ADVERTISEMENT: CLICK TO LEARN MORE

FRESH STORY
On 15 September 1943, Joan Jackson married her childhood sweetheart Frank Armstrong. Choosing Beaverdams Church as the location at which to celebrate their nuptials, villagers joined forces to ready the venue. The result of this effort was recorded in a poem by Violet Kempson (née Patterson) entitled “Fixing the Church”

 T’was in the year of 43
And in the month of June
The Friendly Circle had a Bee
And Things began to bloom.

The church was in an awful state
It needed women’s hands
So the Friendly Circle heard the call
And formed a gallant band.

They fell in line and marched to church
With buckets, soap and song
With many hands and willing hearts
The task did not take long.

They gathered at the meeting house
It surely was a sight
To see so many who agreed
To fix the Church up right.

And here’s a picture that I saw
As I was passing by
Those women sure can stop the clock
Or make the minutes fly.

Mrs. Sim was scrubbing windows
Mrs. Ruck was scrubbing floors
Mrs. King was giving orders
There was work to do galore.

Nellie Yates was hanging paper
Mrs. Woods was helping too
Mrs. Herbert said from scrubbing
That her knees were worn through.

Mrs. Wade, an ardent duster
Mrs. Kempson slapping paint
Mrs. Essex doing odd jobs
Dot Macrae looked a saint.

Mrs. King she made the curtains
She and hubby hung them up
And I can see no reason
Why they really shouldn’t strut.

Mrs. Sykes was so ambitious
As she hurried to and fro
Mrs. Dickinson, she marvelled
She could use a paste brush so.

There are lots I haven’t mentioned
Sadie Dickson is one
I’ve here to say
She did her bit get the job all done.

There were those who couldn’t help down there
But still they did their share
They helped the work financially
For slackers, they were rare.

So now they have the job all done
They all can sit and rest
And know the satisfaction
That they really did their best.

There are curtains on the windows
There are carpets on the floors
There is paint upon the window sills
And paint upon the doors.

The old Church does look wonderful
It’s clean and sweet and pure
We hope it helps the children
To respect God’s House once more.

The services have all been held
Most everybody came
That Church as surely caused a boost
To the Friendly Circle name.

 Sources

 http://friendsofbeaverdamschurch.com/

http://www.colonialmeetinghouses.com/background_information.shtml



ADVERTISEMENT: CLICK TO LEARN MORE