St. Andrews West – The Scottish Parish home to the Burial Site of Simon Frazer and Ontario’s First Premier John Sanfield MacDonald
I came upon this beautiful little stone church and cemetery by chance while commuting from Ottawa to the Adirondaks, crossing in Cornwall. I had noticed the little hamlet of St. Andrews West before and had though of stopping but never bothered, allowing its fleeting silhouette to leave my memory. Yet that saturday morning something came over me and I finally stopped and I’m glad I did.
No only has the township done a great job in laying out the history of the area via leaflets and signs but the parish priest saw that I was the only car in the parking lot and took it upon himself to show me around. I was fortunate enough to have someone with a passion for the history of the site to show me around as this is surely an underrated little stop-off.
Table of Contents
Geography
The hamlet is located just north of Cornwall, on Roadway 138 that connects Highway 417 to the St. Lawrence.
A Brief History
The region we call Ontario today was once Upper Canada. In its early years, this region of Upper Canada along the St. Lawrence was populated by Loyalists, fleeing the American war of independence. Many of these hardy people starting anew were Scots, in this case 38 families of United Empire Loyalists from New York State. The land was granted to the m in return for their military service.
This was a rough land and of the many that settled here and worked the fields and equal measure left on expeditions up to the northern lands as fur traders and explorers.
Note: St Andrews is the Patron Saint of Scotland.
St. Andrews West
The Stone Church(es)
There are two stone buildings that are part of the church complex, the round stone church and the spired one. The round church is the older building and now serves as a parish hall while the other one is still used for services. You will find the old bell near the round church.
When the Scots arrived, they built a wooden church on the site of the current burial ground (a replica has been rebuilt in the cemetery). This new church would be the round church. It is the oldest stone structure still standing in Ontario and was completed in 1801, when it was ministered by Rev. Roderick Macdonell. It was built under his leadership and funds provided by their partners at the North West Company, an illustrious Fur Trading company started by the French that would eventually merge with the Hudson Bay Company.
The third church, the one with the spire, was constructed from 1858-64 and has a steeple that rises up to 212 feet (64 meters). This was a subsequent addition that was completed in 1890. The interior altar is dedicated to the Patron Stain of Scotland St. Andrew. Among its most notable burials are Father George Hay who led the congregation for forty years and crafted the chalice that is still used today for mass out of his collection of Spanish silver coins.
Lastly the church is home to a tabernacle know as the “Spanish Altar”, that was crafted in Montreal as far back as 1790.
The Cemetery
Opposite the stone church, across the road to the north, you will find the burial ground from 1784. It is believed to be one of the oldest such burial grounds in Ontario. The structure is surrounded by a stone wall which gives it a gloomy vibe, I love it!
The previously mentioned rep reduction of the log church can be found at the rear of the cemetery. Many of the original settlers from 1784 are buried here along with a few VIP’s that shall be discussed.
The oldest recorded burial in the cemetery can be found near the log church, it is of Alecander McDonell who did in 1799 at age 38. His epitaph reads that he was killed by a falling tree. Burials were moved from this ground in 1913, to a hill south of here that you will see on your drive in from Cornwall.
The VIP’s are both North West Company men including the legendary Canadian explorer Simon Fraser, who ran operation in the west establishing the first settlement in what we called British Columbia today (charting the Fraser River of course!) and “Spanish” John McDonell, an imposing man of tall stature who earned renown as a military leader, explorer, fur trader and public person, I still have much to learn about him.
A last VIP can be found in the body of John Sandfield MacDonald, Ontario’s first premier!
John Sandfiel MacDonald / Quinn’s Inn
Located at the intersection of the Hwy 138 and County Road 18 (the King’s Road), this old tavern is still in operations today. It was built in 1865 by John Sandfield MacDonald, as a hotel and tavern. At this time Roadway 18 was an busy stagecoach route between Montreal and Toronto (…in fact it was the main road!) so as you can imagine this was a rowdy place. In 1895 it was purchased by the Masterson family and ran as a general store, extending that function when it was purchased by the Quinn family. Since 1989 it has regained its rightful place as a beloved inn, offering a restaurant pub and a banquet hall!
The Rectory
This masonry rectory house dates from the 1880’s and replaced a previous structure that was from 1838. The style is simple and elegant with a mix of Victorian and Gothic elements.
The Convent
Just east of the stone church, on the north side of the road, you will find the masonry convent. First conceived in 1848, it was the first convent in St. Andrews and was run by the Grey Nuns of Ottawa. The iteration you see today dates from 1909 after the original perished in a fire. The building was saved from demolition after the departure of the sisters in 1976 and now serves as a library.
It is open as a museum but only on Sunday afternoons in July and August.
