By Brian Roulston
In the early 19th century, Hamilton, called Head-of-the-Lake, coexisted harmoniously with nature. Its borders ran from Queen St. to Wellington St., once called Lover’s Lane. Young boys caught trout at the corner of Stinson and Erie Ave. Numerous creeks and streams flowed through town from the mountain to Macassa Bay, now known as Hamilton Harbour. On a hot summer day, one could leisurely canoe from Gore Street (Wilson St.), parallel to James Street and down to the bay.
Scrubby pines covered hills of clay. Undulating plains occupied the spaces between the creeks. Trees of every description shadowed the lower valley. Where Jackson Square is you could pick tart green apples. Farmers hoed potatoes at the present site of the Sopinka Courthouse. A low moving black cloud of thousands of wild pigeons would fly over the lake. They could be knocked down, literally, with just a stick. Splendid duck hunting was to be had. On a windy day, dust swept down Merrick (York), King, and Main; so unbearable it would halt the day’s business, and all trades in the area suffered greatly.
John Street was a trail known as the Mountain Road, the only route up and down the escarpment.
The first tavern, school, and church were on the corner of present-day King and Wellington. The Lower Valley settlers were Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Unitarian and other faiths. Regular ministers refused to venture into Hamilton because of its frontier-like wilderness. So-called ‘saddlebag preachers’ visited the community most months as they visited some of the most rugged, remote communities in the area to preach the gospel. These preachers on horseback were true bushmasters of their day, living off the land, travelling through fierce snowfall, relentless rains, bone-chilling cold, and fiery summer days. They waded through swamps and fast-flowing streams, fighting off rattlesnakes, bugs, and prey to sing hymns and pray with the most isolated families.
Richard Springer owned 40 hectares (100 acres) of farmland bordered by Catharine, King, and Wellington Street. It was said that when cider-making time came in the fall, Richard’s place was popular among men and boys, a good long straw required. Springer’s profound religious beliefs and actions, including establishing the first regular place of worship in Barton Township, would shape the future of Hamilton’s spiritual community, fostering inclusivity and diversity. He was born in 1757 in Albany, N.Y., to David R. Springer and Margarita “Margaret” Oliver Springer and had two brothers and three sisters. After his father was shot by revolutionary troops, young Richard, walked with his mother and siblings to Niagara-on-the-Lake. He was a private in Butler’s Rangers during the American Revolutionary War and settled in Niagara-on-the-Lake, marrying Sarah Boyce in 1786. They came to Hamilton in 1801.
Religion was a vital force to get through tough times during the long, harsh winters and in other seasons as they toiled the land. At first, people would meet in homesteads around the village for prayer and worship. In the first decade of the 1800s a Church of Scotland congregation built a tiny wood frame church on what is now Mohawk Road. In 1810, Springer created an altar in the kitchen of his log farmhouse on Hunter and Spring Street. He invited his neighbours to weekly Methodist prayers, which he performed in German and broken English. His lectures were fiery and hilarious, which was a popular style of preaching at the time, however Sarah, his wife, sometimes worried he had gone mad when he preached. This inclusivity eventually extended to other religious denominations, who also held prayers there. As more and more attended Richard’s services, circuit preachers eventually took over the services. The congregation quickly outgrew Richard’s cozy little kitchen, forcing him to hold services in his barn for several years.
In 1810, the congregation relocated to Hamilton’s first schoolhouse, a one-room log building on Wellington and King streets. Other religious groups subsequently began to worship in whatever rental buildings they could find at the time. Richard’s church paid £5 to Robert Land Junior for a 1/4 acre of land, a block bounded by Wellington, Main, and King streets. According to The Head-of-The-Lake Historical Society Robert Land II had previously bought the land from a man for a yoke of oxen and a barrel of pork!
Originally known as the White Church, it became solely Methodist and the forerunner of Hamilton’s United Church. It was built by Springer’s son-in-law, Mr. Day Knight, on the property for $1,700, a considerable sum at the time. The board of trustees were Richard Springer, Charles Depew, John Aikman, John Eaton, and Peter Ferguson. The deed was made to the gentleman as “To the Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church”.
Elder William Case is believed to have preached the first sermon in the newly built church in May of 1824. This was also the year in which the Methodist Church of Canada virtually separated from the Methodist Church in the United States. Because of its location, this church would later be known as the King Street Church. The first burial in the churchyard was of tavern keeper Samuel Price in 1822, a year before the actual date on the deed.
Springer died in 1829 at the age of 72 and buried adjacent to the White Church. His tombstone was later removed and built into the wall when the church was enlarged. Marcus Smith’s map of Hamilton in 1850 show’s the property as being the “British Wesleyan Church.”
In 1914, a third church was erected on this location, a Renaissance-style Methodist chapel with seating for 1600 parishioners. By 1925, the Methodist Church had evolved into the newly founded United Church of Canada and was later named First United. On Saturday, September 13, 1969, fire gutted the First United Church. The fire was said to have shot up as high as 10 stories and could be seen from Burlington. Firefighters had to tackle not just the church fire, but also residences along Victoria and King William that were caught on fire by embers floating in the air. The estimated loss to the church was $1.5 million. The Fire Marshal’s Office reported that the fire began in the dome and no cause was reported. Instead of rebuilding, they moved to donate the land in 1976 and built a highrise with 513 non-profit units for seniors now known as First Place. First United Church held services on the second floor until the congregation amalgamated with Pilgrim United Church to form First-Pilgrim United Church in 1981.
First Place no longer has a direct connection to the United Church of Canada.
