Description du lieu patrimonial

The Little Stone Presbyterian Church is a Municipal Heritage Property in the Rural Municipality of Abernethy 186 located 5 km southeast of the Village of Abernethy. The property features an 1892 fieldstone church and cemetery dating from 1884.

Valeur patrimoniale

The heritage value of the Little Stone Presbyterian Church lies in its association with the original pioneers of the area. Built in 1892, the building is the oldest church in the area and only church built entirely of fieldstone. The church was built entirely by the volunteer labour of the original pioneers in the area, including local notable William Motherwell. The property served as the central community gathering place until the construction of the first schoolhouse in 1894. The church remained active until 1905 when a new church was built in Abernethy. The property stands as a commemoration to the spirit of the pioneers who were associated with the church, many of whom are buried in its cemetery.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Abernethy No. 186 Bylaw 85-4.

Éléments caractéristiques

The heritage value of the Old Stone Presbyterian Church resides in the following character-defining elements:
-the location of the church on its original location
-the use of local construction techniques, such as the fieldstone masonry construction of the church;
-those elements that honour the memory of the early pioneers, such as the location of the cemetery in its original location adjoining the church.