Nearly 200 years of story.
The Olde Kirk is the third Presbyterian church built by its’ congregation. The first two are no longer but this one endures. The story begins not with a building, but with a ship and a colourful character who organized its voyage.
On August 15, 1829, the ship Huntley departs Greenock carrying 176 passengers — Scottish settlers from Western Scotland and the islands, most of them Presbyterian, many of them Gaelic speakers. The voyage was organized by Donald Campbell, who had come to Glengarry from Fort William and spearheaded an emigration scheme to Eldon and Thorah Townships. Campbell was a man of considerable energy and, some would say, considerable imagination. His settlers arrived and his reputation lives on today!
More settlers arrive throughout the 1830s. The first settler in what would become Kirkfield was Alexander Munro. Born in Inverness in 1804, he settled on Lot 43 South Portage Road around 1836. The Mackenzie family arrive from Ross-shire in 1832: John Mackenzie, his wife Mary McLaughlin, and nine children – among them William, born in Eldon in 1849, who would one day change the country.
Alexander Munro donates land for a church and burial ground. A frame church is built — its first service held October 5, 1862. Beside it, the congregation sets aside sacred ground — the Old North Section of Lakeview Cemetery, once known as God’s Acre — holding at least 88 known souls from the founding families of Kirkfield and surrounding area.
Kirkfield grows. The Victoria Railway arrives in 1871. Around 1869, three Mackenzie brothers — William, Alexander, and Ewan — are operating a general store in Kirkfield and building a contracting business. In 1874 they secure a contract on the Victoria Railway north from Lindsay to Haliburton. The project brings William MacKenzie into contact with railway builder George Laidlaw and engineer James Ross. A career, and a legend, begins.
By 1886 the congregation has outgrown the frame church. A Gothic Revival building is erected on Portage Road in 1895 — lancet windows, pointed arch entrance, decorative brick. The original frame church is repurposed as the town hall but burns to the ground in 1936.
In February 1905, the congregation transfers the second church to Sir William Mackenzie. In exchange, he funds a new church on Portage Road — constructed in yellow brick, designed by Bernard McEvoy.
When the United Church of Canada is formed, St. Andrew’s votes against union — 33 against, 6 in favour. Kirkfield’s Scottish Presbyterian identity runs deep. The congregation remains Presbyterian.
KDHS is established in 2005. When St. Andrew’s closes in 2010, the Society gains full ownership. The museum opens and the collection begins to grow.
The 2026 season — new membership tiers, a growing archive, a summer of events, and steady research continues to reveal our community’s history.
992 Portage Road — The Olde Kirk
Built in 1905 in the distinctive yellow brick found throughout Kirkfield, the Olde Kirk was designed by Bernard McEvoy — an Englishman of many talents: journalist, poet, author, and architect. His obituary in the Vancouver Sun noted that he had achieved some renown as an architect, having designed for the late Sir William Mackenzie the church which is still standing in Kirkfield. Sir William’s brother, Alexander, is believed to have served as builder.
The building is Gothic Revival in style — steeply pitched gable roof, buttresses, large entrance tower (shortened from the original), and the great arched north window that dominates the street-facing façade. That window has been there since 1905. The stained glass panels along the nave walls were added gradually over the twentieth century, largely as memorial windows gifted by families of the congregation. Each one carries names. Each name is a story.
Stories Behind the Glass — a landmark publication in development — will document each window, each name, and the stories the windows quietly hold dear.
The Kirkfield & District Historical Society
The Society was founded in 2005 with a clear purpose: to preserve and share the history of Kirkfield and the surrounding areas that connect to Kirkfield’s story.
What we hold
The archives hold photographs, maps, land records, family papers, and artifacts spanning nearly two centuries of community life. Among the newer acquisitions, in partnership with the Coboconk Historical Society, is the McKague Ledger from Bexley — a remarkable commercial record that opens a window into the daily life of our ancestors.
What we do
Along with our museum, we hold events: concerts, seminars, art shows, teas, film screenings, and cemetery walks. We support genealogical research and maintain active research projects that connect families.
Where we’re going
The Society turned twenty years old in 2025. This new season feels like a turning point. The archives are growing, research projects are finding their audiences, and the building is finding new life as a community gathering place. The work ahead is about deepening what’s already here — more families connected to their history, more reasons to come through the door. This is a community institution that belongs to the community. We are so very glad you found us!
Twenty years of events, archives, and community memory. The Society has been the steward of this building and this district’s history for two decades. The 2026 season is a new chapter — with a clear purpose and a expanded view.
Do you have Kirkfield & Area roots?
“The families who came in 1829 didn’t stay in one place. They spread across Ontario, across Canada, across the world. But the names are still here — in the land and in our hearts.
I have family history
in Kirkfield or Eldon Township
My family came from
Scotland — this may be my story
or artifacts to share
on this region or period
We want to hear from you! The archive grows every time someone shares what they know.
Host Your Event at the Olde Kirk
An extraordinary setting for an extraordinary occasion.