On the grounds behind the church at Victoria Lane and Church Street, Colborne.
Commemoration
This church, built from local stone, was begun in 1830 on land acquired by the Presbyterian congregation from Joseph A. Keeler, a prominent local merchant. It was designed by Archibald Fraser, a Scottish architect-builder, in a plain and classically proportioned Georgian style and, upon completion in 1833, services were held under the direction of the Reverend Matthew Miller. Later in the century the interior was recast and a new roof featuring projecting eaves supported by paired brackets was added giving the building a decidedly Italianate character. In 1910-11 the original tower was heightened, a belfry constructed and a hall housing the Sunday School erected at the rear. Little altered since then, St. Andrews remains one of the oldest surviving Presbyterian churches in Ontario.
Background
Before the church was built, the community was served by travelling preachers riding through the area. The construction of such churches is a physical reminder of the time the habitations grew from struggling settlements into solid communities.
Parts of Reverend Miller’s diary are available to get a taste of life in early Colborne.