Postcard Memories is a weekly series of historic postcard views and photos submitted by Marcel Rousseau.
Some were previously published by the Orillia Museum of Art and History and in the book Postcard Memories Orillia.
The Knox Presbyterian Church is located between Rugby and Edgar on the northwest corner of Old Barrie Road and Concession 9.
In the early 1830’s Scottish Freeholders, many of whom were from Islay, set aside land for a “Glebe” to be used for a church site and cemetery. The church was constructed in 1844 and 1845, with volunteer labour, using timber cut and hewn with broad axe on site.
There are at least eight stones in the cemetery that predate the church, one as early as 1826. The church was officially opened the last Sunday of June in 1845 with two services, one in English and one in Gaelic. More than two-thirds of the congregation were Gaelic speaking at that time.
Over the next 40 years, other churches were built in the area and with a dwindling congregation, the church closed in 1891. The cemetery continued to be managed by volunteers.
In 1908 a new cemetery board was appointed to look into restoring the abandoned church. Restoration started in 1910 and on Sept.n1 1912, after being unused for 20 years, a service was held with a large number of descendants of the early pioneers in attendance.
A memorial service continues to be held every June. It is more than 185 years since that first burial and the property continues to receive the care and maintenance worthy of such a historical site.
