St. James' Anglican Church (Port Carling, Ont.) is a church in the Muskoka Lakes Anglican Parish.
In the 1870s services were being held irregularly in Port Carling by clergymen from Bracebridge and lay readers from the area. The first appointed clergyman was Rev. E. Stubbs; the East window was later installed in memory of him. The church began construction in 1877 after Mr. George Hazlewood sold 3/10 of an acre of his Crown land to the Bishop of Algoma. The church was established in 1881, but not completed until 1885. The rectory was built around 1897.
In April 1912 it was decided to purchase a new site and rebuild the church as the first was too dilapidated to repair. They managed to purchase an old Roman Catholic Church site. In June 1912, the church and the nearby Stratton House Hotel were burned down. On July 4, 1913 the corner stone was laid for the new St. James’ Anglican Church and it finished construction on August 26,1913; the lower half built of stone and the upper of wood to be later veneered with stone. The Bishop of Algoma opened and consecrated the new church.
The East window in memory of Rev. E. Stubbs was saved from the wreckage and installed in the new church. The Harris family donated flanking windows in memory of their mother, Olivia Harris. The Penson family (daughter of Rev. Stubbs) donated the West window. There continued a series of donations that fitted the church: additional windows by St. James’ Sunday School, Mr. Lawrence Baldwin, Miss Baldwin; choir seats and chancel railing by Miss Allen; pulpit by Rev. Holland and family; reading desk by Miss Gurney of England; lectern by Burt Shuratt; Font by St. James’ Sunday School; and credence table by Valley City Seating Co.
In June 1914 the church saw various renovations and was gifted a “disappearing propeller boat” from the Bishop of Montreal.
Around this time, the church acquired a bell with embossing on both sides. Much work was put on hold during the war, but the church did also acquire a furnace for the rectory, as well as replaced siding and fresh paint.
Between 1918 and 1921 the church was equipped with a new set of altar rails, a polished copper cross, and oil lamps. The church also gifted the altar from their basement chapel, built by Mr. Penson, to the Port Sanfield church.
In May 1919, a new fence was placed around half of the parsonage property. Between August and September 1919 they began collecting donations to brick the upper part of the church, but instead was given horizontal siding. In March 1920 electric lights were installed in the church and parsonage.
Rev. T. W. Buckley drowned December 9, 1923 on his way to give service at Christ Church (Gregory, Ont.). He was buried at the Gregory church cemetery on the 11th. The mission was without administration until Cyril G. F. Stone arrived on April 25, 1925; he was a student from Trinity College, Toronto. By this time the church had significant debt, partly incurred during Rev. C. F. L. Gilbert’s incumbency when the parsonage was mortgaged in order to finish constructing the church. The people of the church quickly helped fundraise to clear the debt and reduce the mortgage by $100. Thanks was given to the Young People’s Association at St. Philip’s Church, Toronto for their financial generosity and kindness.
In 1930 and 1931 work on the front lawn began. The end result was a rockery in the centre and freshly planted grass. Not much work was completed during the depression years.
In 1946 the rectory was sold as it had not been used for some time, but in 1950 the Incorporated Synod of the Diocese of Algoma purchased another house that was first occupied by Rev. James H. Jackson. The house was redecorated, kitchen renovated, oil furnace installed, and a garage was built. During this time, St. James’ got new carpet, electric lighting, an electric organ, and the Sunday School room was renovated. About ten years later electric heaters were attached to the ceiling. The rectory was sold again, in 1969.
St. James' celebrated its 90th anniversary on October 14, 1971.
The 100th anniversary was held in 1981. The church was given fresh paint, a new electric organ donated and installed and a special service was held on July 12.
The church has two Roll of Honours for those who served in the world wars. Also hanging in the church are four flags: the Anglican Church flag, the Canadian flag, the flag of St. George, Patron saint of English, and a Union Jack the original of which was dedicated to the 122nd Battalion of Muskoka during the First World War.
Incumbents have included: Rev. E. Stubbs (1884), Rev. I.J.H. Pitcher (?), Rev. Samuel Enos Knight (1884-1888), Rev. Percy St. Michael Podmore (1890), Rev. William Arthur John Burt (1891-1897) Rev. Thomas Edward Chilcott (1897-1902), Rev. William Aylsworth Howard (1902-1903), Rev. Loftus Augustus Trotter (1904-1907), Rev. William Evans (1908-1911), Rev. T Bird Holland (1911-1913), Rev. Richard Haines (1914-1918), Rev. C.F. Langton Gilbert (1918-1921), Rev. Thomas W. Buckley (1921-1923), Rev. Julian S. Smedley (1925-1929), Cyril G. F. Stone, student (1925-?), Rev. Albert Ernest Carding (1929-1933), Rev. Gerald K. Lowe (1933-1935), Rev. John Selwyn Rhodes (1935-1942), Rev. Stephen W.L. Gilbert (1945-1947), Rev. James H. Jackson (1952-1955), Rev. George K. Menzies (1955-1959), Rev. Nelson Adair (1959-1967), Rev. John H. Watson (1968-1975), Rev. William A. Graham (1975-1988), Rev. Ray Porth (1989-?).
Sources:
- "Death of the Rev. T. W. Bucklee", The Algoma Missionary News 19, no. 9 (1913): 4. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_001_013_1923Dec.
- “History of the Parish of Port Carling with Gregory and port Landfield” [before 1929], St. James' Anglican Church (Port Carling, Ont.) sous fonds,2009-125_001_007_001.
- "Church Marks Ninetieth Anniversary", The Algoma Anglican 15, no. 10 (1971): 1. Algoma University Archives, 2013-086_001_007_1971Nov.
- “Notes on Past Clergy”, [198-?], Almaguin Anglican Parish (Sundridge, Ont) fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2012-010_001_006.
- Joyce Archdekin Payne, “A History of St. James the Apostle Anglican Church”, 1993, Diocesan Heritage Centre Parish History collection, Algoma University Archives, 2014-019_001_001.
- Gary Denniss, "A Brief History of the Churches in Muskoka", 1996, Synod of the Diocese of Algoma fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2009-156_002_009.
