St. John's at Coulson's Hill

St. John's Presbyterian Church, in the village of Coulson's Hill (also known as Coulson's Corner), was originally built in 1857.
The village is named after the Coulson family who settled here in 1822. They donated the land for the large cemetery and two churches. The Anglican church shares the property and was built in 1854, although is has been rebuilt on two occasions. The Anglican church is still in use today, and the groundskeeper also keeps an eye on the Presbyterian church. At one time the village was home to a hotel,a stagecoach stop, blacksmith and an Orange Hall. All that remains are the two churches and the surrounding cemetery.

St. John's was originally built in 1857, and then updated and the current church as it sits was dedicated in 1889. It had a flourishing congregation for several years, but as the population density of the area gradually changed, and more people moved into the larger nearby towns of Bradford and Churchill, the members began to dwindle at St. John's. After World War II, more and more immigrants moved into the area, of different denominations, and as travel became easier with automobiles and better roads, people tended to travel into the towns for most of their business, including the regular church visits. Eventually, the declining attendance and revenues, and increasing costs, forced the Coulson's Hill congregation to join with the Bradford Presbyterian church, becoming known as the St. John's Bradford Presbyterian Church. The church closed in September, 1966.

The groundskeeper has taken care of the old church over the years, as it now sits empty and unused, but the building is starting to show its age. The doors are kept locked, I would love to see inside this former beauty. For now it sits as a historic reminder of the past, the graves of the early pioneers resting close by.