One of the most recognizable and prominent features of this village is the Gothic church with the green roof, the centre point of a roundabout that joins Church and Melville Streets.
On Oct. 13, the congregation of the Knox Presbyterian church invites the community to join in its 175th birthday celebration at the Elora Community Centre.
The evening includes a catered turkey supper, a pre-dinner social hour and musical program.
The anniversary establishes that Presbyterians were the earliest denomination to hold church services in Elora, making the legacy of Knox significant.
Six large churches were erected in Elora in the fifteen years between 1862 and 1877: Wesleyan Methodist (1862), Baptist (1863), St. Mary’s Roman Catholic (1870), Knox Presbyterian (1873), St. John’s Anglican (1875) and Chalmers Presbyterian (1877).
The story of Presbyterianism in Bon Accord (Upper Nichol Township) and Elora starts in a house and a barn, progresses through a log church carved out of the wilderness and continues today in a contemporary setting.
Knox Church, Elora was founded in the settlement of Upper Nichol Township, known as Bon Accord, in the year 1837.
The first church building was a log church. The leaders of the small group of Presbyterians who decided to settle in Bon Accord were Mr. Alexander Watt and Mr. John Keith.
The church’s first elders Alexander Watt and John Alexander Davidson were followed in 1848 by Thomas Gray, John Keith and Joseph Geddes.
In 1850, Charles Allan donated the land of the current site. A small frame-roughcast church was erected and opened for public worship in 1850.
In 1873, during the ministry of Rev. A.D. McDonald, the current stone church was built at a cost of $22,000.00.
It took Knox two years to erect its present stone church but 30 years to pay for it.
In 1937, at the Centennial celebrations for Knox-Elora, the congregation dedicated a Cairn at Bon Accord, in memory of the pioneers, near the spot where the former log church stood. To this day, the Cairn at Bon Accord is visited annually for a church service by the congregation of Knox-Elora.
Love of God and neighbour, caught, taught and nurtured at Knox has been shared with members and adherents, the community, the country and the world.
The organizers of the event are hoping former members of Knox Elora will return to join in the memories.
A revised history of Knox Presbyterian Church will be available for purchase during the anniversary celebrations.
The 175th anniversary service will be held at 11am on Oct. 14 with guest speaker Rev. Dr. Herb Gale. All our welcome. The 175 birthday celebrations, held at the Elora Community Centre on Oct. 13 begin with a social gathering from 5 to 6pm, followed by supper at 6pm. A schedule of entertainment will follow at 7:30pm.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the church office at 519-846-0680 by Sept. 30. Admission rates are: adults $25; children aged five to 12 $15; children four years and younger are free. Everyone welcome.
