Committee estimates that $70,000 is needed for immediate work on Madill Church

Main photo: Madill Church Preservation Society board members (back from left) Carolynn MacKay, Barry Groomes, Lynda McLeod, Donna Collins, Keith Collins, Cynthia Hampton; (front from left) Paige Phillips and Anne Collins.

A little over a year ago when The United Church admitted that it wished to divest itself of the iconic Madill Church, many in the community were concerned about the fate of the historic landmark. A lot has happened since then.

A series of public meetings were held and from that a group calling themselves the Madill Church Preservation Society (MCPS) was formed. They have taken on the responsibility of maintaining the church.

In a very short time the group has incorporated as a non-profit under the umbrella of the Ontario Historical Society, accepted ownership of Madill Church, determined the renovation priorities and costs, and are well on their way to raising the approximately $70,000 they believe they need to complete the restoration.

“We have determined the immediate needs,” said Carolynn MacKay president of MCPS. “The foundation is one. The roof is the other.

“We want to raise the church and then put a proper foundation in. We will replace it with the stonework so that it will look the same,” MacKay continued. “We will have to remove the vestibule and replace it on a similar foundation as the church building. There are some logs that need replacing. Certainly the chinking needs replacing and we need to fix the chimney. Of course with this sort of thing you really never know what you have until you get into it.”

MacKay says they figured that it’s going cost about $70,000 to do the work. “There are lots of people who have offered to donate logs and donate time, and those sorts of things, that maybe it won’t cost that in the end, but that’s where we are at.”

According to MacKay the committee has already secured almost $40,000 in pledges.

As soon as the society receives its charitable status it will be able to issue tax receipts for donations.

If you are interested in making a donation or getting involved send an email to [email protected]

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