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Early Ontario Church to become Women’s Institute Hall A 156 vear old building. one of the first rural churches in Central Ontario will shortly become a gathering place for Women's Institute members of the Prounce at the Ontario Agricultural Museum at Mil- ton. Arrangements have now been completed between the F.W.1.0. and the Ontario Agricultural Museum “thh will ensure that the Women‘s Institute moveâ€" ment will have its own place on the 92 acre Ontario Agricultural Museum site. The move follows dis- cussrons that have been held with the Museum. and work will begin shortly to bring the plans to fruition. The building to be used for this purpose is the forâ€" mer Srheridan Methodist Church which was built in 1820 on the comer of what is ' n Churchill Boulevard and the South Servrce Road of the Qfin Elizabeth Highway in Oakville. In those early years it servedmr all denominations in the community of Hammondville (later to become Sheri- dan). After 49 years ofservrce as a church and meeting place. the building became too small for the growing community and in 1869 it was replaced by a larger. brick church which still stands. When it was closed as a church in 1869 it was sold to the Lawrence family who lived on the adjacent farm and moved there where it served as an ice house until 1914. In 1914 Mr. and Mrs, Nelson Lawrence used it as a temporary resi- dence while they were building the large red brick house in which the family continues to reside. Since the Lawrences moved into that new house in 1914. the old building has served as a storage area and work» shop. Now after 156 years of multiple service to the 24 community this weathered old building will be 5 new life to serve the general public in yet another Recently the Lawrence family offered it: building. now covered with grapevines and iv} sagging floors and broken windows to the Ont-art ricultural Museum. It will be dismantled shortly and moved to tlit scum site where it will be re-erected and restot the “Women‘s Institute Hall". Commenting L" proyect. the O.A.M. General Manager. R. W. C. said. “We feel very fortunate to have been able qurre this unique old structure. which has so roots in the early days of rural Ontario Vt pleased that the Lawrence family realized the s cance of this building and made it available to u will be placing it on a solid foundation. and usu original hand-hewn timber frame. TECOHSIFUCUH; accurately as we possibly can, When we have tini it will be turned over to the Federated Women‘s ‘ tutes of Ontario to use as their “home” on our 511‘. expect they will utilize it for demonstrations of do tic crafts, as a show-place for Institute exhibits. a; a central meeting place for farm women Who VISI Museum site. In many ways this building is syml' of Ontario Agricultural Museum‘s central themt depict the continuing changes that have taken plat rural Ontario and in farming practices.” Hopefully the Sheridan Church Women's lnstu Hall will be completed by midâ€"summer. and read) I use by local W.1. Branches. it