St. James the Apostle
St. James is located at 3774 Carp Road, in the village of Carp. The church is right beside the Carp Agricultural Fairgrounds and is also home to the Parish Hall.
Early History of St. James Church, Parish of Huntley
The church of St. James the Apostle was the third church built in Huntley Parish. Christ Church was built in 1838 and St John’s in 1885.
After the great fire of 1870 people and businesses gravitated towards Carp Village. To accommodate the people, in this new centre, services were held in the Orange Hall in the late 1870’s. During the time of Reverend Francis Codd, 1879 -1884, it was decided by the Bishop that the Parish should be divided into three congregations.
A committee to build a new church was headed by the Reverend C. Scudmore, with William Barton as treasurer. On November 15th, 1888, the contract for the new church was awarded to John Bennett, of Richmond, at a cost of $8000.
On January 3rd, 1889, George Nelson Kidd and his wife Esther Elvira Young donated to the church the north half of lot 18, concession 2, in Carp village. Construction moved quickly Arthur Johnston and Jack Lett drew stone from a quarry on the Johnston farm, (later the George Dolan farm). The corner stone and sills were brought in from Carleton Place. The church is a model of Gothic construction. Windows are recessed 20” into the walls. Two years after construction, St James was debt free. The church was consecrated December 18th, 1882 by the Reverend John Travis.
Many beautiful memorials dedicated to the glory of God, in memory of loved ones, have been received by St James Church. The east windows, over the alter, were given by the Kidd family in memory of Richard Kidd and his son Thomas Alfred Kidd.
St. James celebrated its 50th anniversary on August 13th, 1939. The church needed repairs and contracts were given for shingling the church and spire. A new chimney and pointing, painting inside and out, new electrical fixtures and a carpet for chancel and aisle, were also completed at a total cost of $1600.
In 1989, St James church celebrated its 100th anniversary. Special services were planned and a dinner was held with many former Rectors and parishioners in attendance. The inside of the church was renovated and new outside doors installed. Other gifts were given as memorials to loved ones.
The land for the St. James cemetery was purchased in 1919 from Thomas Argue at a cost of $3000. From the front of the property two building lots were severed and sold for $1500. On June the 10th, 1921, the cemetery was consecrated by Bishop Roper. A vault was built in 1960 and in 1966 two acres of land were purchased from E Honeywell for an extension of the cemetery. In 2004 a columbarium was erected.
The cemetery is a beautiful and peaceful area, a tribute to those who planned and those who care for it. St. James church is a village landmark where we belong, grow and serve our Lord Jesus Christ.