Country Canada Township Woolwich Forward sortation area N0B 2V0 Local time Tuesday 10:40 AM | Regional municipality Waterloo Time zone EST (UTC-5) Area code(s) 519 and 226 Province Ontario | |
 | ||
Weather 9°C, Wind S at 11 km/h, 100% Humidity | ||
Winterbourne is a village located to the east of the Grand River in Woolwich, Ontario. It is located just northeast of the city of Waterloo. The fine stonework of the Scottish stonemasons can be seen in many of the older buildings throughout the settlement.
Contents
Map of Winterbourne, ON, Canada
History
In 1854, William Henry Lanphier built a dam on Cox Creek, so Winterbourne's first sawmill and gristmill could be established. Lanpier named the village Winterbourne, after his ancestral home in England. Chalmer's Presbyterian Church, on Katherine Street, remains virtually unchanged after 121 years. The building is in good structural condition. Everything in the church transports the visitor into the past. The house located at 35 Katherine Street served as the Presbyterian manse for many years. This 1854 home is unique for this part of Ontario. It was built by the wealthy Captain Lanphier and was a reflection of his station in life.
Geography
Cox Creek flows through the village. The village is close to the Grand River.
Transportation
The community's main street is Waterloo Regional Road 23, known as Katherine Street. Winterbourne has never been served by rail.
Education
In 1872, Winterbourne Public School was built in the community. The building was located on large grounds fringed by wooded nature trails. The public school was closed in 2003. In 2006, the Waterloo Region District School Board sold the school for $550,000 to a new private school, Foundation Christian School.
Foundation Christian School opened in September 2006. It serves around 100 students between junior kindergarten and grade 8. The school offers a nondenominational Christian education. The school's curriculum meets Ontario standards and is infused with Christian values and teaching.
Religion
Winterbourne was longed served by Chalmers Presbyterian Church located on the main Katherine Street. The town hall that once stood beside it, fell to ruin and has since been gone. The church in the last years has only seen few visitors and regulars, although all older. Its official last day of service was December 4, 2011. The church was offered for sale in 2012, and a number of local residents, fearing that the church would be purchased then demolished, approached the Township of Woolwich to request that the property be flagged as a potential heritage building, thereby ensuring that there would be public debate should potential owners want to demolish the 1870 building. Woolwich Township did indeed "flag" the building, ensuring that prospective buyers were aware of the cultural and heritage significance of the church.