ALLISTON - The first Anglican Church on Wellington Street West in Alliston was consecrated on June 25, 1876. The Anglican history in the area, however, started back in the early 1840s.
That was several years before William Fletcher, the town's founder, first arrived on the banks of the Boyne River. There were early settlers in the area and most of them came from Great Britain where many of the people were Anglicans. In fact in the old days, the Anglican Church was often referred to as "the English Church."
Christian missionaries have always accompanied exploration and settlement of new lands and this was true in Canada too. Three of these energetic men were Reverend Dr. Langley, Canon Osler of Bond Head and the Reverend R.W. Hindes. They worked in the large area between Collingwood and Toronto. They held Anglican services in the homes of the British pioneers. They must have been strong, dedicated men to withstand the hardships of travel on the trails and rough roads of the new land.
In the years between 1860 and 1871, the Reverend A. J. Fiddler of Cookstown served the early pioneers of West Essa Township. They had built a wee church a few miles north of the new village of Alliston. He would have had lots of time to practice his sermons on the long lonely trips from Cookstown, approximately ten miles to the east. No doubt, the horse he rode heard a lot of "fire and brimstone" sermons as he rehearsed along the way.
On the return trip, the dedicated clergyman rode several miles south to the Boyne River where a few hundred pioneers had established their homes in a village they called Alliston.
The Anglican families used to gather for worship in W.F. Kinsey's workshop at 25 Victoria St. E. The village was largely settled by British folk and like so many other English, Scottish and Irish settlements, they soon constructed an Orange Hall.
After that time, the Anglicans met there until they were able to build their own first church. In those days, Christian worship was a matter of very high priority in their lives.
By the 1870s, Alliston had become a thriving community and building lots were being occupied along a road that had been named Wellington Street. The little congregation wanted to build their church there so they purchased lots 36 and 37 on Wellington Street West. Robert Henderson and John Moore acted as trustees for the church that would be known as St. Andrew's Anglican Church. Those must have been exciting days. A whole new chapter was about to open.
Those busy folk managed to get their construction underway before winter set in and on Nov. 5 1875, the cornerstone was laid by a woman, Mrs. Lett, wife of the Reverend Dr. Stephen Lett of Collingwood. No doubt, they hoped for a long, open autumn, to permit them to get the edifice closed in before the first snows. It was to be constructed of brick veneer on a stone foundation. It would sit 125 in the pews and they would soon outgrow that wee church.
What a joyful day was June 25, 1876 when the Lord's house was consecrated. The building and furnishings cost only $1,500 and it was fully paid and did not require a mortgage.
The little settlement of Alliston grew and prospered and as more streets were laid out at the beginning of the new century, the thriving congregation marked the new era with the construction of a rectory, next door to the east side of the church. In those days, most parents sent their children to Sunday school and as the numbers grew, it became obvious that a hall would be needed to accommodate all those children. About the time of the First World War, a parish hall was built and Earnie Skelton was the Sunday school superintendent. I recall that he was the janitor of Alliston Union Public School when I was a little boy.
The early half of the 20th Century was a time of growth in the old mainline churches and by the time the Anglican Church was 50 years old, the congregation had outgrown it.
The decision was made at the vestry meeting in June of 1926, to demolish their beloved church and build a bigger one. In the months ahead, most of the congregation, young and old, participated in the work project in one way or another. On March 6, 1927 the last service was held and demolition began.
The people in those days wasted very little. They re-used the lumber and bricks and bought some bricks from a Methodist Church on Lot 4, Conc. 4, being demolished in Essa Township. The older men cleaned them. The younger men used horses and wagons or sleighs to haul gravel. The furnishings and beautiful stained glass windows were stored in the parish hall.
The architect's design, of course, was that of an old English village church, similar, in some ways, but on a smaller scale, to the new St. Clements Church in Toronto. What a busy and exciting time it was.
Surprisingly, the beautiful new building was finished in only seven months. The doors were opened for Sunday worship on Oct. 9, 1927. His lordship, Bishop Sweeny opened the church and consecrated the memorials. The congregation and officials were congratulated on having one of the finest church buildings in the Diocese.
According to an article in The Alliston Herald dated Oct. 13, 1927, a large choir presented a fine musical service under the direction of Eric Dowling and Mrs. Fred Webster sang a solo.
Eric Dowling was the church organist at St. Andrews from 1924 to 1930. He was born in Sheffield, England and came to Canada in 1923. He went on to become a very famous church organist, playing at such great churches as Timothy Eaton Cathedral and at St. Georges' Anglican Church in St. Catharines. He was a well known composer and also he was the founder of The Niagara Peninsula Centre. Mr. Dowling was the honorary president of the Royal Canadian College of Organists.
Glenn Alderson has been a member of St. Andrews Anglican Church since his youth. He and his mother and sister lived in one of the homes on Tackaberry Row, which was a row of attached homes to the east of the church property. The homes eventually belonged to the church until they were demolished to make room for senior citizens apartments on the site. Glenn has seen a lot of changes over the years. He was confirmed on July 8, 1956, along with many others whose names I recognize. Some of them are still in town and active in the church today.
The confirmation was conducted by the Right Reverend Bishop Fred Wilkinson (who had been a war hero known as Fearless Fred). He had won many medals in the First World War. Mr. Alderson recalls, "I was 15 years old and I remember that the bishop had a real presence."
The young people were asked, "Do you here, in the presence of God and of this congregation renew the solemn promises and vows which were made at your baptism?" They answered, "I do." Then each one kneeled at the Chancel steps.
A lot of fine people have been a part of St. Andrew's Anglican Church and many of them are long since departed, but they are not forgotten. When I was a young boy at Alliston Union Public School, the Anglican minister used to visit our class and give Christian instruction. No doubt, it was then that I accepted Jesus Christ as my saviour. Some names of the clergy that I recall are Wigmore, Herbert, Bridle and Symons, from the old days. Before and after these have been many fine servants of God. There have also been many who served their Lord in various other roles within the congregation.
Some things have come and gone over the years but we read in our Bibles that God's word will never pass away, though, in the end times of the world, many may stray from the faith. Anyway, in the old days, that's the way we were then.
For more stories about the yesteryears of our community see next Tuesday's edition of the Alliston Herald. The book The Way We Were Then, Book 1 is available at A Loft of Books on Victoria St. W. in downtown Alliston. The cost is $15.