Church attracted many, starved for spiritual guidance
The first Anglican Church in Creemore was an attractive building erected at the top of the hill south of what is now the Collingwood Street Bridge. The graceful spire and the columns at the front must have pleased the eyes of the settlers used to rude log cabins. Newly built, it opened in 1855 being the only church of any persuasion for miles and miles. It attracted many people starved of the comfort and spiritual guidance of the church.
Life in the parish flourished. The congregation grew even more with the arrival of William Forster in 1870. He and his wife established the beautiful rectory, Claverleigh, west of Creemore near the confluence of the Mad and Noisy Rivers. Soon it became clear that the little church on the hill was inadequate for the growing population. The beautiful church that now graces Caroline Street was built and ready for dedication January 9, 1887. No one could have predicted what would happen within a week. Rev. Forster collapsed and died on January 14. Shaken though they were, the congregation carried on and at the turn of the century was a vital force in the village.
What continues from here are accounts of many of the church activities in the early part of the twentieth century.
Like the women of any church the women of St. Luke’s, for that is what it was called, were hard and faithful workers for their church and its missions. A report at the annual meeting of St. Luke’s Women’s Auxiliary illustrates this. “Meetings were held either in May’s Hall or in the homes of the members. The customary bales of clothing containing eleven new quilts and many varieties and valued at $50 was sent to the Indian home at Gleichen, Alberta. The treasurer’s report showed $23.51 contributed by the members of which $12.30 was sent to various missionary objects; $19 was received from the sale of work at the garden party, and over $45 collected for the missionary fund. Two new surplices were presented to the church. Most of the garden party proceeds, $51.70, were handed over to the church wardens for the repair fund.” That is but a sample of what went on year after year.
Garden parties were very popular among the general population no matter what church they attended. For many years St. Luke’s garden parties were held at the rectory. This house was the fine brick building at the northwest corner of County Road 9 and Collingwood Street. In 1914 the newspaper report gives a picture of the popular event. “The building itself looks fine in its new coat of paint. The grounds were tastefully decorated with flags and bunting. Two pretty booths added effectively to the attractiveness of the surroundings and were quite popular during the later part of the evening. Three large tables on the west lawn were taxed to their utmost capacity from 6 to 8 o’clock in providing tea for about 500 persons. (We now call tea supper.) A program began about 8:30 and was presented from the verandah on the east side of the house, and included choir presentations, solos, instrumentals and addresses. Fireworks was the grand finale to the evening.”
The 1915 garden party brought an innovation: electric lights, a marked improvement on the bonfire illumination of the previous year. Instead of a variety concert the Citizen’s Band played.
An interesting incident during the evening showed that anything could happen. A young man and “a couple of young ladies drove a white horse up and down in front of the rectory, and then stopped a little way up the road while the young gallant got out to treat his ladies, leaving them in the rig, and bought fifty cents worth of fruits but paid the bill with a bogus piece of metal. The theft was discovered almost immediately but he had made his escape.”
The members were active in many other ways. “Miss Jessie Wade, a missionary from China, gave an address on Tuesday evening, February 17, 1912. She spoke interestingly on the good work done in China by Christian missionaries.”
The Orange Lodge, a Protestant brotherhood, was very popular in Creemore in the late 1800s and the first half of the twentieth century. In July 1914 ninety-one of them plus the congregation packed into the church with many remaining outside. The sermon was a strong justification for the existence of the order, quoting from Exodus 13:8,9 in the Bible and was an earnest appeal to live up to the high standard of its constitution and laws.
The organ in St Luke’s Church has provided beautiful music for over a century. A 1914 newspaper announced its arrival, “Messrs. Lye and Sons of Toronto are busy installing a new pipe organ in St. Luke’s this week. The work is to be completed by Friday evening so that there may be a special choir practice that night for services on Sunday… On Monday Mr. Lye will give an organ recital assisted by some local and outside soloists.”
The report in the next week’s paper stated that “at the evening service the church proved far too small for the crowd that sought admission and numbers were turned away” The collections at the different services amounted enough to cancel all debt on the organ.
In 1915 it was decided to install an electric blower in the organ. Previous to this someone manually pumped the organ in the little room behind it. This decision was probably prompted by the recent arrival of electric power in Creemore by the Hydro Electric System. An evening service was presented to show off the effects of the new device on the music. It was reported that the blower gave splendid satisfaction and the playing was good.
This organ was refurbished in recent years and provides music as beautiful as it ever did.
