A Brief History of Stamford Presbyterian Church

The history of our church is rich and fascinating. In 1776, following the outbreak of the American Revolution, a migration of those loyal to the Royal Crown came to settle in the area. These families who made the long and arduous trek to the Canadian side of The Niagara River came to be known as the United Empire Loyalists.

About 10 families of Scottish Presbyterian descent built their homes and livelihoods in the Stamford area. in 1784 the settlers began to worship in each others’ homes but seven years later the tiny congregation collected enough money, resources and man power to erect a log church called the Stamford Presbyterian Meeting House. The property also included a cemetery.

In the early days the church was served by itinerant ministers of any denomination and was also used for some time by the Anglicans and Methodists as this was the only place of worship in the area. In 1794 the congregation called their first full-time minister, Reverend John Dun from Albany, NY.

During the War of 1812, the church building was used as a military barracks and hospital.

In 1870, the current church building was build in ‘neath gothic style’ on the same site, using part of the original stone foundation. It cost $1,800. In 1895 amidst much controversy across the denomination, the first pump organ was introduced as aid during the singing of Psalms.

Stamford Presbyterian Church stayed loyal to its American roots for decades, only joining the Presbyterian Church in Canada in 1935.

A basement was added in the 1930s and an addition was added to the back of the building in 1956 and again in 1969.

The sanctuary today, although equipped with the modern comforts, maintains its historical charm in the interior design with lofty ceilings, a balcony and beautiful historical stained glass windows that cast an amber glow inside and outside the sanctuary. A Rose of Sharon stained glass window sits above the wooden double front doors.

In 2016 the congregation of Stamford Presbyterian Church received a Heritage Recognition Award for Aesthetic Merit from the Municipal Heritage Committee in recognition of the preservation of this church as a valued landmark in Niagara Falls.

This article was adapted from a piece written by Irene Ellis in 2006.