Kilbride United Cemetery

No hazards, just be respectful of the graveyard and you should have no problems.

The history of the cemetery is directly tied to the old Kilbride United Church as the location of the current cemetery is where this old church used to be before it was relocated to the current church locaiton at the intersection between Jane St. and Kilbride St. The old church was a attractive frame building, once known as Zion Methodist Church, New Connection, it was built in 1860 on Eighth Sideroad, east of Panton Street. The land was donated by George and Rhoda Harbottle Senior and deeded to the church for five dollars. But, the residents of Kilbride felt that the church was not close enough to the centre of the village and in 1881 it was decided to move the church. Hall Gunby and Mr. Curliss, with the help of local farmers like James McNiven and their oxen, formed ‘bees’ and rolled the church through the village to the present location donated by Charles Harris. I could already imagine a whole church being pulled down a dirt road. The vestry was torn down and the “Old Sunday School Room” was later erected. Then, a reopening ceremony was held, with Rev. John Turner officiating. The speaker, Rev. James McAlister, was the grandfather of Rev. Alfred McAlister, minister of the church from 1978 to 1986. Donations given that night were sufficient to completely retire the church debt. The cemetery remained where the church was originally built, marking the graves of the forefathers who laboured so earnestly to establish their place of worship. That cemetery is all that you can see today at the original location of the church, but if you look hard enough you can see where the old church used to be.