Trinity Anglican Church

Marmora Township 1897-1947 Information supplied by Fred and Dorothy McGibbon, and Mabel Clarke

On December 14th, 1897, James Bailey and his wife, Isabella Bailey, donated land on the north west corner of the intersection of Centre Line Road and Beaver Creek Road, being an acre and a quarter for a new church representing the Church of England. Local residents in the Beaver Creek area felt the six miles to town was too long a walk for church.

Mabel Clarke remembered her mother telling her that William (or James) and David McCoy hauled the brick from Belleville on overnight trips by horse and wagon. The congregation, which included the Derrys, Loughs, Downards, Baileys and McCoys, shared the services of the rector of St. Paul's Anglican Church, Marmora. The organist was Anne Bailey, later the wife of John Langman. She died in 1995.

Lasting only 50 years, the congregation gradually dwindled in number until it was no longer feasible to keep it going. According to Mabel, Meg Downard and John Cochrane were the last members to work on keeping it open.

The Canons of the Anglican Church forbid the use of a closed church building for anything else, and consequently contracted Mike Bobyk to tear it down. He later used the bricks to build the house at 28 Main Street, in the Village of Marmora. The land was sold to Fred McGibbon for $20.00, plus $3.00 for the deed.

Fred McGibbon described the church as an attractive red brick, with rafters 28 feet long and the interior was completed with birch tonque and groove lumber. The doors faced south to the Beaver Creek Road and the property was fenced erected by the McGibbons.

Fred, with the help of Herb Bonter and Sid Snider, built his house on the old foundation of the church, however, the church extended 12 feet further west than his house. It was later sold to his daughter, Anne and her (unnamed) husband.

The records of the church are kept at the office of the Diocese in Kingston but are mixed in with those of St. Paul's Anglican Church of Marmora