Howitt Memorial

The history of Howitt Memorial Church is courtesy of Lyla Hayden whose mother, the late Mrs. George Lewis (Nee Heath), wrote this history of Howitt Memorial Church.

HOWITT MEMORIAL CHURCH

Howitt Memorial Church - early members - off site link

Until 1983, at the corner of lot 10, concession 5 in Puslinch, there stood a little country church, then know as Howitt Memorial. A few yards to the west of this building was where the first little church stood.

This church, built in 1845, was on the property of John Howitt, and was built of logs boarded over on the outside. It had a cottage roof and two windows on each side, while the seats inside were plain, hard, straight-back seats.

This was a Methodist church and known as Kirkland Church, to some, it was know as Kirkland's Apportionment and it was here a Miss Agnes Lawrence taught the older girls of the community; this being before No. 12 school was built.

West and south of the church is a little cemetery of about one acres. A few of those resting there are: David Stirton who was M.P for south Wellington and for many years Postmaster in Guelph; James Meakin, a British war veteran who fought in the Battle of Waterloo; and Edmund F. Heath who also served in the Battle of Waterloo where he won the rank of colonel.

Men, whose farms were separated only by a rail fence, now lie sleeping even closer together in the little graveyard. May their successors, when their time comes to lay down their burden, leave as good a name and as dear a memory as those old time trail blazers of Puslinch. This is not a deserted country cemetery, but one with perpetual care.

This church served the community for forty years. Then it was deemed necessary to build a new one. The new church was built of stone, donated by and taken off the farm of Alfred Howitt. Day after day, men laboured with their teams and wagons, breaking and hauling the stone. The appointment at that time was on the Hespeler circuit and the minister was Rev. Robert Heeners. He donned his working clothes and came on horseback from Hespeler to work side by side with the men of his congregation.

A meeting was called to decide on a name for the new church. Alfred Howitt's suggestion that it be called Memorial Church, in memory of those gone before was adopted.

An extra large stone was chosen to be placed directly over the door and the name was to be put on it. However, in putting it up, the stone was broken. In its place was put a plain white slab, and on it written "Memorial Church". In later years sometime between 1902 and 1907, the name was changed to "Howitt Memorial” and it remains that.

The opening date was December 1886. The new church was heated by two box stoves and lit by six hanging lamps which were bronze and black with white shades.

One of the many men who served as minister was the late Mr. Habermehl of Preston. He served there for over twenty years. A few years ago, a plaque was unveiled in the church in his memory.

The same little organ still served as well as in 1886. In a little anteroom just inside the front door was an old seat taken out of the first log church.

Among the names of the congregation in those days you would find Salt, Evans, Metcalf Smith, Howitt, Ireland, Rudel, Heath, Eagle and Thompson. The Rudels, who were Presbyterians and attended Hespeler Presbyterian church, gave freely of their time and talent especially in music, both vocal and as organist. The youngest daughter, Lilly, married Mr. Wilkinson, a student minister in the charge and they went to China as missionaries.

When Church Union occurred in 1925, Howitt Memorial became a United Church, but it was closed in 1929. Serious vandalism to the unoccupied building occurred in the next five decades, and in 1983 the Church was demolished.