Our video series, This is Huntsville, brings you the people and places of Huntsville, past and present.
Churches were a significant part of life for early settlers, and the small community of Grassmere, just east of Huntsville, was no different. Its church—St. Paul’s Anglican—was built on a small plot of land adjacent to what is now Hwy 60.
According to the Algoma University Archives, “The congregation of what would become St. Paul’s met in the home of Francis Morgan, Sr., in 1874. In 1881 William Henry Green cleared and set aside half an acre of his land as a church site. The church building was constructed ten years later in 1891. St. Paul’s was consecrated that year on September 2.”
But in recent years, with diminishing congregations, many small churches have faced demolition.
St. Paul’s was deconsecrated on October 13, 2019. In order to preserve it and prevent its demolition, it was moved two kilometres east to Hillside Farm on April 28, 2020. See clips from the move in the video below and watch for the full story on Huntsville Doppler soon.
(Historic photo of St. Paul’s Anglican courtesy of the Friends of Grassmere Church Facebook page / Sue Robertson DeLuca.)
See more videos in the This is Huntsville series on Huntsville Doppler here.
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Mr. & Mrs. Jarrett
Well done!! What a perfect addition to Hillside farms.
My parents were married in the Grassmere Church on August 26, 1941. To honour them, my wife and I were married on August 26, 2001. We had one ceremony at the United Church in Burk’s Falls; followed by a Buddhist ceremony (and reception) at our home.
Before the church was moved, my wife secured a brick for me, which resides on my desk.
Cool…Glad to see it was saved and not demolished.