Congregational Church of Georgetown

corner of Church and Market Streets, Georgetown, Ontario

by Dawn Livingstone

Prepared for Esquesing Historical Society, February 1996

According to an 1893 newspaper article, the Congregational Church was introduced into this district by a Rev. Stephen King. They met on the first Sunday in 1843, "in a school house near where the old saw-mill now stands," ⁽¹⁾ but Rev. King left for Alton in 1844, ⁽²⁾ and the congregation seems to have been without an official leader for a period of time.

According to an original book of minutes, a meeting of believers was held in the house of the Rev. David Powell, in the Village of George Town, Esquesing, Upper Canada, on the 27 November, 1846. At that time it was decided that the group present should formally organize a Christian Church of the Congregational Denomination. The seven participants in that meeting were George Kennedy, Sarah Kennedy, James Barber, Hannah Barber, Peter Akert, Catherine Akert and Charity Lamb.

At that time they set forth 14 articles for their Confession of Faith, and 15 extremely strict rules of discipline that members of their church would have to agree to support. Part of those included 2 or 3 times per day personal family worship, no card playing, dancing, plays & theaters or operas or ungodly festivals or assemblies for music and worldly pleasure. They had to adhere to a speech pure of a tongue, no lying, slandering or swearing, and high moral standards when buying or selling anything. They had to agree to keep their family and servants from doing next to anything on Sunday, and that "we spend the whole day (except such part of it as is requisite for works of necessity and mercy) in public and private exercises of devotion..." All members were expected to regularly attend the worship services, and absence without good cause would invite a visit from one of the brethren to inquire of the cause, and if found to be not satisfactory, expulsion would quickly follow. ⁽³⁾

These people took their faith extremely seriously, and much consideration was given to applicants for church membership. They were visited and well screened before being submitted for acceptance.

The original list of members shows 42 people joining, between Nov. 27, 1846 and June 6, 1851, mostly by Profession of Faith. Common among the list are the names of Kennedy and Barber. ⁽⁴⁾

By Nov. 1850, the congregation had been served for some months by a Rev. H. Denney and at their meeting 22 Nov, 1850, they officially invited him to become their minister. ⁽⁵⁾

The first mention of building a Congregational Chapel appears in the minutes of 30 January, 1851, when all the male members were asked to meet at the home of George Kennedy, to see what could be done about building a chapel. This they obviously did, and they officially opened their new chapel on the 19 November 1851. The land for the church was donated by William Barber, and it is noted in the minutes "that the thanks of this church be given to the Rev. H. Denny for a bell, and that John Harvey ring the bell at ten o'clock."⁽⁶⁾ The frame chapel was built free and clear of all debt, no mean feat I am sure especially by such a small number of people and considering wages at that time. The building costs are listed at 143-12-42, and the subscription for donations had totalled 158-10-1/2 donated by a list of 87 local people and members of the congregation. ⁽⁷⁾ Because of their restrictions regarding music, it appears there was no organ or piano in the church, and in April of 1853 there is a notation in the minutes that "this church deem it best for the cause of Christ to withdraw the motion respecting instrumental musick." The first mention of a musical instrument appears in December 1857, when consent was given to bring a melodeon into the chapel.⁽⁸⁾

Sometime during late 1852, The Rev. H Denny left the local church, and in December 1852, at a special church meeting, the congregation decided "to accept the conditions of the Rev. Joseph Unsworth as laid down by him to become the Pastor of this Church." ⁽⁹⁾

During the early years, several people were expelled from membership in the church because of drunkenness and disorderly conduct. In fact, one family was expelled because they broke the laws of the Sabbath. It appears that the family let a group of circus people and their horses and "appendages stay on his farm the whole of one Lords Day, for which he received pay." In fact in September 1853, an addition was made to the rules of discipline for the church.

"That in consequence of a number of church members attending a circus in this place, this church deem it best that the word circus be added to the second rule of discipline of this church." ⁽¹⁰⁾

The rules of the church were often read at the Sunday worship service, so that they wouldn't be forgotten. In fact the rules were revised in 1862, and 750 copies of "A Declaration of the Principles of Faith, Church Order and disciplines of the Congregational Church, George Town" were printed for distribution. ⁽¹¹⁾

It appears that the first mention of a church union came back in 1853, when the local church received a letter regarding possible "amalgamation of the two congregational unions and missionary society in this Province." While no copy of the suggestions for union is available, the local church wrote a detailed letter outlining their reasons for objection. They were very much against a union at that point.⁽¹²⁾ In 1859, union meetings were still going on and Mr. Joseph Barber represented the church at a union meeting in Toronto on June 8, 1859. ⁽¹³⁾

In 1858, permission was granted to the Presbyterian Mission Station, Georgetown, to use the chapel. In fact, a few years later, the Presbyterian's would become neighbours, building first a small brick church (the first brick church in Halton County) and then later replacing it with a beautiful stone edifice to compliment the stone church built by the Congregationalists.

Much earlier, the congregation had allowed the Baptists to use the chapel for meetings, and in 1860, they held a collection to raise money for the building of a church on Vancouver Island.⁽¹⁴⁾

In 1860, the ministers salary was raised to $300 per year, from what it is not known, and the congregation agreed then to keep that figure until May 1862.⁽¹⁵⁾

The Rev. Unsworth was still preaching in 1877, when the Halton County Atlas was published.⁽¹⁶⁾ At that time preparations were under way to replace the frame structure with the stone building that still stands, and the expected cost was to be $6,500.⁽¹⁷⁾

In an 1893 Toronto Globe article on Georgetown, this beautiful church was described thusly:

"The interior is exceedingly neat and attractive. Almost the whole of the south end is taken up with a very handsome stained glass window in memory of Maria Barber. At the opposite end is another window, not so large, but equally beautiful. A marble tablet records the fact that the late Mr. Jas. Barber served the church in the office of deacon for the long period of 34 years. The present minister is the Rev. D. McCormick who moved here from Kingston about a year ago."

There had previously been unions of other congregations, and in Georgetown, that meant in 1884, the union of the Wesleyan Methodist group (from Wesleyan Street) and the Episcopalian Methodists (on Guelph Street) who decided to carry on worship in the Methodist Church we now know as St. John's. In 1910, the Congregational Church decided to join them, leaving their beautiful stone church.⁽¹⁸⁾ In 1913 the members of the former Congregational Church deeded it to the town to be used as a library, forever, and that library had its official opening 10 October 1913,⁽¹⁹⁾ after renovations by J.B.Mackenzie of Georgetown, to add washrooms and lower the beautiful vaulted church ceiling. It was a generous gift, and the beginning of a new chapter of history for this beautiful old building.

References

1. Toronto Mail, 1893, Article on Georgetown.

2. Rev. Richard Ruggle in short article on Congregational Church, Archives, Georgetown Library.

3. Original Minutes of Congregational Church, 27 Nov. 1846 EHS Archives, Georgetown Library.

4. Original Minutes of Congregational Church, etc.

5. Minutes, 22 November 1850.

6. Minutes, 7 November 1850.

7. Minutes, Building Report to Congregation, 28 November 1895.

8. Minutes, 17 December 1857.

9. Minutes, 22 December 1852.

10. Minutes, 6 September 1853.

11. Minutes, July 1862.

12. Minutes, 16 September 1853.

13. Minutes, 25 May 1859.

14. Minutes, 2 August 1860.

15. Minutes, 2 May, 1860.

16. Historical Atlas of Halton County, Ontario, 1877.

17. Toronto Mail, 1893, Article on Georgetown

18. Georgetown Herald, 2, December 1981.

19. Walter Lewis, presentation to Esquesing Historical Society, 14 February 1996.