Description of Historic Place

Conestogo United Church, located at 1790 Sawmill Road, is situated on the northwest corner of the intersection of Harriet Street and Sawmill Road, in the Village of Conestogo, within the Township of Woolwich. The property consists of a one-and-a-half-storey red and yellow brick church that was constructed in 1878.

The property was designated by the Township of Woolwich in 1980 for its historic and architectural value or interest under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 46-80).

Heritage Value

The Conestogo United Church is associated with the early Methodist congregation of the former Village of Conestogo. The building was the first Methodist church in the area and was constructed by its congregation in 1878.

The Conestogo United Church is a relatively unaltered example of vernacular church architecture of the early 19th century. Built of red and yellow-brick, the church is small in scale and simple in form, which adds to its rural village charm and character. Gothic influences are evident, such as the steep gable roof with ornate bargeboard and the paired lancet-windows, which represent the workmanship of that era.

Source: Township of Woolwich By-law 46-80.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Conestogo United Church include its:
- red and yellow-brick construction
- steep gabled rooflines over the church and entranceway
- ornate bargeboard underneath the roof eaves
- symmetrically placed, paired lancet windows and sills on the east and west elevation and façade
- half-storey protruding entranceway
- yellow-brick buttresses on the east and west elevations