By Thomas Smith

Stepping into Irondale’s St. John’s Church, you are teleported back 120 years in time.

Looking outside through the church’s original windows, the trees are distorted with swirls and ripples, showing you exactly what the congregation saw a century ago.

As its namesake suggests, Irondale has origins connected to the iron ore industry. Charles Pusey, an American iron magnate came to the Irondale area in 1879 and was influential in planning the layout of the town including a hotel, store, mill, and railway station.

As a devoted Christian, Pusey’s wife Ruth was heavily involved with the Church of England. As an act of her devotion, she financed the building of the church in Irondale. Once completed, she donated the church to the local community to be a house of worship for all denominations.

By 1900, Pusey’s mining operation was shut down after the iron proved not to be lucrative. By 1960, Canadian National’s abandonment of the IB&O railway was the final nail in the coffin for the town.

Known today as a ghost town, the Irondale Church remains an attendant to Irondale’s boom.

For Bark Lake Cultural Developments executive Douglas Rodger, Irondale’s Church is a time machine.

It brings back memories of the one room churches he attended with his mother. Waking up early to light a fire, his congregation’s breath could be seen on the coldest of mornings.

As the church sits today, original artifacts and wainscotting decorate the interior.

The nonprofit group Bark Lake Cultural Developments Group (formerly the Irondale Historical Society) was formed to purchase the building from the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, battling for control of the church for two years before acquiring it in 2012. Several families from the local community contributed funds towards acquiring the church and paying for its mortgage, in addition to many fundraisers over the years put on by the BLCD group.

The building was recognized by Minden Hills in 2011 as being culturally and historically significant, but is not recognized as a historical place provincially or federally.

On July 9, Bark Lake Cultural Developments posted a plea for help on Facebook asking the public to help save the church.

As a vibrant community hub, the Irondale Church has seen many weddings, funerals, celebrations, and has acted as the central cultural hub for Irondale.

Carol Simmons has been leading the charge as president of the BLCD in preserving the Irondale Church for over 18 years. Last December, Simmons penned her resignation from the BLCD board.

“We need a president,” urged their post. “Without that person stepping forward, BLCD will be forced to wind down its activities, liquidate its assets and donate the proceeds to other charitable entities as determined by the rules of the Canadian Revenue Association.”

For Bark Lake Cultural Developments executive Douglas Rodger, he envisions the Irondale Church to become a known space for the arts in Haliburton County.

“I would like to take the cultural development part of it and make that more of an active part of it, along with the history,” said Rodger.

As a playwright, he sees potential in the space as a multi-use venue for the arts, in addition to providing non-denominational worship. With potential connections to improve the sound system, he says that the most crucial aspect of the church’s future is a president with a long term vision.

With the church’s natural acoustics, Rodger says that the church is already uniquely positioned towards music and performance.

While it will always look like a church,everything inside is movable and can be arranged to suit a variety of needs.

“There would be enough money in the back to keep things going,” said Rodger. “Until they could come up with new and different ways for fundraising and more volunteers to do the work.”

Beginning the process, Rodger has put up a lighting system and says that a sound system would not be difficult to acquire.

“People’s imagination can fill the space,” assures Rodger. “This is a pretty important place and worth the effort to keep it alive.”

As the population of Irondale and surrounding Minden Hills increases, Rodger hopes that the increase of full-time residents brings fresh faces to the group.

To sustain the BLCD, a secretary, treasurer, and president is needed.

Primarily, a president is needed in the future to sign papers and to continue to be a nonprofit in the eyes of the CRA.

“I would really hate to see it go,” said Rodger. “There is something unique about it. The simplicity, the unadorned nature of it. I get a feeling of being back in time,” said Rodger. “To me, it is completely original.”

To learn more about the organization and to get involved with BLCD, please email historical@irondaleontario.ca.

On Saturday, Aug. 22, the family folk trio Mystikana will be playing a concert at the Irondale Church. Hailing from Eastern Ontario, the group draws on classical training and their love of nature to create intimate, interwoven melodies and rich harmonies.

For this concert, BLCD will be transforming the church to reflect the natural world and enhance the ethereal qualities of their music. Tickets can be purchased at irondaleontario.ca and cost $25. The show begins at 7 p.m.