Steeple Chase: Ontario's Historic Churches

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Forty-nine rural Ontario churches, from Pelee Island to Moose Factory,
were selected for this photo album. Most are pre–1900, and several are
designated historic sites. Some are majestic, some are humble; some
pristine, some crumbling. They range from the elaborate cathedral at
Colgan and the distinctive Sharon Temple to the simple log cabin at
Madill. They represent numerous denominations: Roman Catholic, Anglican,
Lutheran, Quaker, Mennonite, Presbyterian, United, and so on. Some are
brick, some stone; and some log, clapboard, board-and-batten, or stucco.
The architectural styles are as varied as the locations and
denominations.

This enormous diversity is unified by the sense of peace each church
communicates. This calm is a product of the photographer’s art. As
well, the editors selected for tranquility, choosing their churches,
settings, seasons, moods, and colors, accordingly. While this is a
strength, it is also the book’s main weakness: as only churches that
yielded a pleasing photo were included, the collection is incomplete,
adding little to our knowledge of churches in early Ontario.

The text is limited to a brief caption for each church, giving its
name, denomination, and location, and providing a very brief bit of
history. The photos are allowed to tell the story. As most modern
elements (such as vehicles and overhead wires) have been edited out, the
story they tell is of an idyllic, pastoral world where the snow is
clean, the autumn leaves glow, the spring grass is lush, and even the
gravestones speak more of calm than sorrow.