By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press
Just as the 150th anniversary of Essex United Church is being celebrated, members are preparing to close its doors for good.
Though Essex United Church was established in 1874, when the congregation was founded as part of the Canada Methodist Church, the cornerstones for the current church facility were laid on May 25, 1908.
Last week, members of Essex United Church had a time capsule located above the main cornerstone removed from the building, which was put in place by the Building Committee.
Brian Sweetman, a long-time member of Essex United Church, pieced together the parish’s history in 1974, when celebrating the congregation’s 100th anniversary. As part of the celebration, he wrote a 50-page book, highlighting the Church’s history up until that point in time.
He wrote in that history book that the time capsule was filled with significant items from the church and community at the time, including a copy of the Essex Free Press, other newspapers, and lists naming the members of the Building Committee, Essex and County Councils, and a history of the church up until that point.
Sweetman and members of Essex United were delighted the little box was in great condition after over a century in place.
Susan Tuck-Sweetman, a retired administrator with the church, noted it was cool to see the time capsule removed from the building. They were not even sure it would be there.
“It is a beautiful metal box,” she said, adding there was excitement that it was not destroyed over time.
Sweetman noted the contents of the time capsule were also in pretty good condition, which was exciting to discover.
Members of the congregation are still deciding on what to do with the contents of the time capsule.
Sweetman wrote of the early history of the church in his book. That included two-years after being founded, a congregation of seven families worked together to build a worship facility, called Canada Methodist Church. That was in 1876. It was located where the Post Office stands today on Gordon Avenue. Just a year prior, they were worshiping in a small hall overtop a store in the downtown area.
The Canada Methodist Church stood on Gordon, until the August 10, 1907 railway explosion. Due to the incident, the original building was fairly damaged at the back-end. The property was sold to the government in 1909.
Two months after the explosion, the congregation purchased the site where the church stands today, on Talbot Street.
The first service took place on February 28, 1909.Another piece of important Essex United Church history includes a fire that destroyed its nursery in January of 1976. The building was restored over a period of around eight-months, Sweetman highlighted previously.
On Saturday, members of the church hosted a yard sale as a way to give community members a chance to purchase items they could use at home or as a keepsake to remember the Church as it was.
Church members were pleased the yard sale was busy, with many coming out to look for items to take home.
It has always been a community-involved church.
In addition to its religious services, the local church has always been a hub for the community. Most recently, for example, it housed the Essex Area Food Bank in the gym for several years, welcomed Boy Scouts as they hosted their meetings, and offered a place for Essex Vocal Express choir to practice.
In addition, its members have been supporters and have raised funds for a variety of causes, such as the Downtown Mission and the Essex Area Food Bank, as well Members of the community are invited to take part in a public service of celebration on October 19 at 1pm. The event will recognize the role the church has played in the community for the past century-and-a-half, and give community members a chance to see the facility as it is one last time.
The final church service will take place on Sunday.
The facility has been posted for sale.
The church has around 20 members. Those members will join other United Churches in the area.
“It is sad to see it close,” Tuck-Sweetman said.
Last month, Essex Council passed a By-Law to designate Essex United Church as having cultural heritage value or interest under the provisions of the Ontario Heritage Act.
A couple prominent pieces at the church include the belltower, which is 59 feet tall and contains the bell from the original Canada Methodist Church, and three stained glass windows: The Good Shepherd, The Knocking at the Door, and The Agony in the Garden.
The Agony in the Garden piece was given to the church from a Mrs. Douglas in memory of her husband, in 1908.
Sweetman wrote about those features in his history book.
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