Edit Place: Main North Road 37 Willaston Uniting Church

Description:

'''Willaston Methodist Church, Main North Road Willaston'''<br /> This church was initially known as the Willaston Wesleyan Church. In June 1866 a special sub-committee was formed to select land for the site of a new chapel at Willaston. In September of that year, the committee purchased a block of land from Mr. Ayres for £25. He then donated half the purchase price back to the church. In January 1867 Taylor & Forgie successfully tendered for the carpentry work for £117, Manifold & Pimlott for the masonry for £33 and Parkinson & Gwynne for the supply of stone for £17-2-2. On January 21, 1867 some 200 people were present for the laying of the foundation stone by Mr. John Dawkins of Gawler River. A sealed bottle was placed beneath the foundation stone containing a copy of The Bunyip, the South Australian Register and an explanatory document. Unfortunately, the stone was not marked and so no-one knows where the foundation stone is.<br /> The church bell was purchased in February 1867 for £4-10-0, and in March twelve seats each eight and a half feet long were bought for £1 each.<br /> Details of the opening are sketchy .There is no record of who opened the church; however, the treasurer’s book shows the opening collection was £1-14-10. A Sunday school was established in 1879. The vestry was added a few years into the 1900s. On 21st October 1944 a Memorial Cairn was unveiled and trees dedicated in honour of members of the fighting forces connected with the church and Sunday school. The cairn is built of Angaston marble with a bronze tablet insert. In 1946 a stained glass window containing the names of members of the congregation that served in World War II was fitted. The final service before the church’s closure was conducted on Sunday May 31st 2000, which was the 133rd anniversary of the church’s beginning. The church has been a private home since February 2001. [http://www.flickr.com/photos/gawler_history/sets/72157629532109452 Click here] to view photos and articles relating to Willaston Methodist Church. Please [https://drive.google.com/file/d/130w4bT14qMJS0-Ss8CXkz1myvSX1nlCc/view?usp=sharing click here] to view historical information from the 1998 Danvers Heritage Survey regarding this location. <¹> . The fields below can each contain multiple values. Separate them with a comma.

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