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Christ Church, Church of England, Amherst Island Early Photo |
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November 17 1877 British Whig |
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Christ Church, Amherst Island, as shown in the 1878 Meacham’s Atlas |
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Christ Church, Amherst Island December 6, 1877 Dominion
Churchman This beautiful little church was formally opened on
Tuesday, the 20th inst., under very happy auspices. There were two
services, morning and afternoon and the church was filled to overflowing on
both occasions. There were present, besides the incumbent, the Rev. I.J.
Christie, the Ven. The Archdeacon of Kingston, Revs. C.E. Cartwright,
chaplain of the penitentiary and J.H. Nimmo, of
Bath. After morning prayer, the Archdeacon addressed the
congregation. He took occasion to pay an eloquent and generous tribute to the
beauty of the church and to the care and good taste with which the general
design and all the details had been carried out. The Archdeacon was followed in the afternoon by Mr. Cartwright.
He dwelt in a tone of the very best feeling on his former connection with the
parish and expressed his great pleasure at the erection of such a beautiful
little church. He had, he said, always hoped that it might one day be
accomplished, but his expectations would have been bounded within much
humbler limits. It was a very agreeable sight to witness the great
pleasure and cordiality with which Mr. Cartwright was greeted by all his
former people, a sure proof of the respect and regard in which he is held by
them. A collection
was taken up after both services, which produced a very material increase to
the building fund. About ten years ago, a small congregation was formed
for evening service by the Rev. W. Shortt, the then
incumbent, chiefly for the benefit of those living about the head of the
island, at an inconvenient distance from St. James’, and it has been kept up
by his successors, Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Christie. The service has been
hitherto held in a building kindly lent by the proprietor for the purpose,
which, however, being old, has been falling out of repair; and the ground on
which the new church stands comes as a gift from the same liberal source. The design of the church in general and in all its
details has been the work of a member of the building committee, Daniel
Fowler, the well-known artist, who, with his family, has been the principal
mover in the erection of this little gem of a church and whose tastes and
studies have lain in that direction. Externally it is a plain brick building
consisting of nave and chancel with side porch and vestry, open roof, with
timbers showing. The chief beauty is in the interior. But enough has been
said about that. Its main feature is a beautiful triplet memorial window in
the chancel. This window is the gift of Mrs. Rathwell, daughter of Mr.
Fowler, in memory of her husband, the late Major Rathwell. This gentleman was
brother to the second incumbent of Amherst Island, the Rev. John Rathwell,
M.A., who succeeded the well known Rev. Dr. Adamson who resigned the
Incumbency to become Chaplain to the Canadian Legislature. The subject of it is the Ascension. As a work of
art, it is very elaborate and at the same time, of great beauty and perfect
harmony of colour. The side windows as well as the memorial window, are the
work of Mr. J.C. Spence, of Montreal. |
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Christ Church 2013 |
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By 1986, the Roman Catholic
congregation on Amherst Island wanted a new church. They were able to purchase
the old Christ Church building on the Front Road, at the west end of the
village of Emerald.
Notice published September 9, 1988 |
