A glimpse of our history

The early settlement of Euphrasia Township in Grey County centred around the village of Fairmount, located south of the intersection of what is now Grey Rd. 7 and Grey Rd. 40. Anglican services were initially conducted in homes and schools by the famous Rev. Mulholland, who travelled the area on horseback. In 1866 a 1-acre plot a mile north of the village was purchased for one dollar and in September 1867, a small frame Church opened for worship.

During the latter part of the 19th century the congregation grew with the population of pioneer settlers, including escaped slaves from the U.S.A. who sought freedom in Canada via the Underground Railway. James L. Wilson, a prominent member of St. James’, was one of these.  In 1907, the wooden structure on the “English Church Road” was replaced by the present red-brick Ontario Gothic church.

The village of Fairmount with its store, post office, hotel, and cobblers’ shop is long gone.  The red brick schoolhouse where the St. James’ Vestry first met in April, 1867, about a mile from the church, still stands but it has been converted into a home, symbolizing the changes in the rural population over the years.