Gordon Presbyterian Church - St. Elmo, Ontario, Canada
Posted by: 
Loonwatcher
N 45° 18.689 W 074° 52.459
18T E 509851 N 5017560
A stone church with a commanding position on a hilltop, just north of Maxville, home of the Glengarry Highland Games.
Waymark Code: WMHJ74
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 07/15/2013
Views: 5
You guessed it! This Presbyterian Church is smack in the middle of Highland country, rich with its Scottish and Gaelic influence and heritage.
The congregation of this church traces its origins to c.1826 when the Presbyterian settlers in the area, then known as the Indian Lands community, began construction of a frame church in the 17th Concession. The first minister to conduct services in the church was the Rev. Archibald Connel, the minister in Martintown. In 1838, the Rev. Daniel Clark of Inverness, Scotland, arrived and served as missionary to the area for a year, before accepting a call as minister. In 1844, Rev. Clark and many of the families in the Indian Lands community broke away from the Presbyterian Church of Canada in Connection with the Church of Scotland and joined the Free Presbyterian Church. Disputes over ownership of the church and manse between the two groups continued until 1860 when it was given to the group in connection with the Church of Scotland. As a result the "Free Church" Presbyterians along with the minister, Rev. Daniel Gordon (who replaced Rev. Clark in 1853), began construction of a new church on the19th Concession. This was opened in 1864. The name of this community at the 19th Concession became known as St. Elmo in the early 1880s, and the church became known as the "Gordon Church". At the time of Church Union in 1925, the congregation of the Gordon Church, St. Elmo, voted to remain with The Presbyterian Church in Canada.
You can see this church from afar. It has a central front tower and wooden steeple. Ten Gothic windows, flanked by lancet windows on the tower, are set within fine brick arches. The church is inactive, but still used for special services.
Three Ontario Historical Plaques are within 100 meters of the church.
There is a cemetary in the adjoining property, proper with many headstones belonging tonthe Campbell and Gordon clans.
The popular novelist Ralph Connor was Rev. Gordon's son, and his memories of St. Elmo inspired his novels of Glengarry.
Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 01/01/1864
Age of Church building determined by?: Historical Society
If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Presbyterian
Street address of Church:
9616 Highland Road
Maxville, Ontario Canada
Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link]
If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: Not listed
If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Not listed
Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: Not Listed
Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: Not listed
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