St. Paul's (Presbyterian) United Church, Sarnia

[johnny5]

Erected northwest corner of Devine and Emma Sts. in 1890, it joined the union in 1925 becoming St. Paul's United church. It was burned down by an arsonist is 1963, being replaced by the present building. The rectory was pulled down last year.

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[johnny5]

After the fire.

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[bibs]

Wow, a church was burned down by an arsonist? That must have been big news back in '63. Hard to imagine....

[ilmason]

I've resisted joining Lost Lambton Found! because I knew that I would get hooked. I could no longer resist temptation!

Might as well begin searching the site with what had been my home church. St. Paul's began as a congregation at the southwest corner of Vidal Street and the 4th Line of Sarnia Township (Confederation Street). Vidal Street at that juncture took a turn and was a separate street, known as Albert Street. When the youth group (Young People's Society of Christian Endeavour) at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Christina Street, wanted to help establish a congregation in the south ward, they collected enough money ($400) to purchase the property. A small church was built which was named Albert Street Presbyterian Church. The church opened in 1890. (The Albert Street building later became the first building of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church -- now located on the southwest corner of Devine and Stuart Streets.)

The congregation grew quickly and required a new church building. The new church opened in 1903 at a new location at the northwest corner of Devine and Emma Streets. Due to its zeal to support mission work, it adopted the name "St. Paul's" in honour of the Christian Church's greatest missionary. A large Sunday School Hall was constructed in 1916 and attached on the west side of the church. Sarnia's Mayor Thomas Doherty (Doherty [Stove] Manufacturing Company at the southwest corner of Wellington and Vidal Streets) spoke at the opening of the Sunday School Hall in 1916. After his adddress, he returned to his seat on the platform, collapsed and died on the spot of a massive stroke.

In 1958, due to rapid growth in membership, an addition to the church was added on the south side of the church. It was a 2 storey square box which expanded seating in the sanctuary. Members referred to derogatorily as "the matchbox".

The fire occurred on Aug. 11, 1963 when a young boy set fires throughout the entire church and Sunday School Hall. During the fire, Sarnia firemen made a valiant effort to save one of the church's several memorial stained glass windows. They saved it by pouring water on it throughout the fire. It was the window installed to honour the memory of two of the church's beloved ministers -- namely, the Rev. Dr. John R. Hall (who served St. Paul's from 1899-1940) and the Rev. John Anderson (who served the congregation from 1940-1953). This window is the only surviving structural feature from the old church. It was a single tall window which was later cut into 3 sections so that it would suit the window configuration of the new church. This window is above the entrance doors on the parking lot side.

And, yes, the fire was big news. Check out microfilm editions of "The Sarnia Observer" during the week following the fire. The minister, Rev. Frank Yardley, was on vacation at the time of the fire. His teenage daughter, Ruth Ann, at home in the manse, crawled in through the basement windows at the height of the inferno to save the church's records. The 12-year old arsonist was caught a couple of months later when his pride in his accomplishment caused him to brag to one of his school buddies, who promptly ran home and told his mother.


Shortly before the fire of 1963, the Sarnia city engineer declared that the tower was unsafe and would have to be repaired or demolished. During demolition, the entire church was razed except for the tower. It proved too difficult to demolish and required the use of dynamite to level it.

There is an old building still on the property. The gym known as the Memorial Hall, was built in 1922, entirely by volunteer labour from the congregation in memory of the young men from the congregation who were killed in the Great War. Originally, it had a second storey which was removed after the new church was built and opened in 1965. The wooden clapboard siding was covered with a brick veneer in order to match the brick of the new church.

The manse (the Presbyterian, and later, United Church term for the "rectory) was constructed by Rev. Dr. Hall as his personal home. The manse was later purchased from Dr. Hall by the congregation.


[Edited by admin; some text rearranged chronologically and into paragraphs for clarity]

[Steve]

Thanks for this, ilmason!

And welcome to Lost Lambton, Found!