Niagara Falls councillors gives historic church a new roof

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Published July 23, 2021 at 2:41 pm

lyons_creek_united_church

At their most recent Council meeting, Niagara Falls approved a $5,000 grant to restore the roof on a historic building.

The former Lyon’s Creek United Church, located at 7906 Schisler Road, was first historically designated in 1986 and the metallic roof is listed as a heritage attribute of the property.

The grant was recommended to Council by the Municipal Heritage Committee, which said it would contribute to the continued preservation of the former church.

While unassuming by today’s standards, the building and another previously on the site is steeped in folklore.

Previously, a Methodist meeting house was built on the site in 1806, in an area known then as “White Pigeon”. The site served as a soldier’s barracks during the War of 1812-1814 and had even played a small role in the Battle of Cook’s Mills in October 1814.

After nearly 60 years of use, the meeting house was replaced with the current church building in 1861. Like most other Methodist churches in Canada at the time, Lyon’s Creek became part of the United Church of Canada in 1925.

While the church is no longer used as a religious building, it was sold in 2009 and has since been converted for use as a residential building.

The Lyon’s Creek church is one storey with a symmetrical three bay façade. The exterior is composed of red brick laid in stretcher bond with a rubble stone foundation.

The restoration work includes removal of the existing metal roof, as well as replacement and repair of deteriorated elements including the existing lightning rods.

The City said, “This would be considered an eligible expense as the record of the roof installation is documented in the Church’s historical information.”

(Photo courtesy of Niagara Falls)

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