Visiting Us
280 Lansdowne Street East (now vacant)
Knox Presbyterian Church or Knox United Church is one of the original buildings in Callander, dating from 1892. The first settlers came to Callander in 1879, and three years later, the first Presbyterian services were held, at first in homes, hotels and after 1890, in St. Peter’s Anglican Church. At first, the congregation was a mission site from Nipissing Village, which was the major town in the area at the time. North Bay did not exist until a few years later. The church was built by the master builder Edward Topps of Chisholm Township and his brother-in-law Henry Wraight. Their signatures are recorded on a piece of wood mounted in the sanctuary, dated 11 October 1892.
In 1925, the United Church of Canada was formed from the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregationalist churches, and Knox Presbyterian became Knox United. Due to a declining congregation, Knox United decided to close. The formal closing service was June 26, 2016, and the building sale closed May 12, 2017.
The church was an important part of early Callander life, and the dedications of the stained glass windows give many of the early names in Callander. George Morrison was the first reeve of Callander. Thomas Darling was the general manager at the Booth operation by the Wasi River and was the second reeve. George Bailey was the fourth reeve, and the longest serving postmaster in Callander. Brookfield Shannon was known for Shannondale Dairy.
For more information, a history of the church is in the Callander Bay Heritage Museum.
