Contains articles and clippings related to the buildings and architecture of Bradford West Gwillimbury, from A - E

Audio of an interview with Harry and Margaret Brown on July 28, 1992. The audio only contains the final part of the interview, with the early part cut off. They are interviewed by George Jackson. Harry and Margaret speak about their lives in Mount Pleasant and Bradford, mainly of their church life and daily routines. See the Related Descriptions below for the summary.

Rev. Wm. Fraser meditates beside the monument he built for his wife Jane Geddie, located directly behind the first Presbyterian Church in Bond Head.

"A congregation of more than 150 people gathered at the Auld Kirk in the Scotch Settlement near Bradford on Sunday afternoon. The churchgoers were attending an outdoor service arranged by the South Simcoe Presbytery."

"The Auld Kirk, a historical church located at the Scotch Settlement will be the scene of an old time church service Sunday, June 22 at 3:00 p.m. The service is being jointly arranged by the Barrie Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church and the Simcoe Presbytery of the United Church. The Auld Kirk is on the 6th line of West Gwillimbury Township south of Highway 88 at the Scotch Settlement. The outdoor service will be led by Rev. Henry Dahlin, minister of Bond Head United Church and Chairman of the Simcoe Presbytery. Also participating in the service will be Rev. Ken Purdon, minister of Burton Ave. United Church in Barrie and Rev. Ed MacDonald, minister of the Presbyterian Church in Orillia and moderator of Barrie Presbytery. The guest preacher will be Rev. W. Stanford Reid, Professor of History at the University of Guelph.
The Auld Kirk's beginnings go back to 1823 when a log church was built by the settlers of the Scotch Settlement. In 1827, a frame church was built and the original log building was moved and used as a school until 1840. The present Auld Kirk building was erected in 1869 at a cost of $1,000. Due to a dwindling population the church was closed in 1885 and for some years fell into disrepair. In 1912, it required a new roof. In 1953, the restoration of the cemetery was started and in 1958 restoration work began on the church."

The Church was built in 1893 on the corner of Church and John Street, during the pastorade of Rev. F. Smith. It replaced a frame structure that was sold to the Anglican Church to be used for a parish hall in 1893, it was demolished in 1953. The Stonework is by George McDonald, a stonemason. The original name was Bradford Presbyterian Church but was later renamed St. John's Presbyterian Church in 1966. The seating capacity is 350, and the tower stands 65 feet high.

"The established church in Canada is nothing to crow about, according to the new minister at St. John's Bradford Presbyterian Church and Second West Gwillimbury Presbyterian Church. Student minister Bill Lennips, 39, sees a lot wrong with the organized church and he wants more emphasis on the age-old teachings of the Bible. The new minister laments over the church's loss of a leadership role in the issues of the day. Mr. Lennips is replacing Rev. Harold Heustin, who retired earlier this year. He is no stranger to the Bradford area, having worked as a Christian Reformed lay evangelist in River Drive Park from 1969 to 1974. He left the Christian Reformed Church, feeling there was undue pressure to have children attend Christian separate schools. He and his wife Betty have six children: Cindy, Jim, Martin, Robert, Douglas, and Billy. Mr. Lennips says the church should be more active and its ministers less distant from the public. He said new policy committees that have been established by Canadian churches - including the Presbyterian Church - are a step toward a more active role for the church and an impact on world events."