Waterloo Region Generations
A record of the people of Waterloo Region, Ontario.

St. Paul's Evangelical Lutherlan Church (Bridgeport) Kitchener

1956 - still standing


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  • Name St. Paul's Evangelical Lutherlan Church (Bridgeport) Kitchener 
    Church Abt 1861  544 Bridgeport Rd. E., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location 
    congregation 
    Born constructed 1956  544 Bridgeport Rd. E., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Unknown 
    Died still standing 
    Person ID I1061  Properties
    Last Modified 10 Oct 2011 

  • Notes 
    • St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church

      Begun: c.1861

      It is believed that a congregation was formed in the 1850s and that services were held in the Free Church, Bridgeport (built in 1848) prior to 1861 when the congregation's first pastor, the  Rev. Jacob Hoelsche  (1861-1873), began his ministry. The congregation was regularly organized at that time. Services and Sunday School continued to be held in the Free Church. Rev. Hoelsche was followed by Revs. J.L. Rau (1876-1878) and  A.R. Schultz  (1878-1882) who were from Elmira, and by  Rev. Immanuel Wurster  from Preston, 1882-1887.

      A church was built at 606 Lancaster Street in 1889; consecration of the new building was held on July 22, 1889. The congregation was on the Conestogo-Breslau Circuit at the time. The church was enlarged considerably in 1939 with basement renovations and the construction of an addition to the back of the church. Dedication for this major task was on October 1, 1939.

      The 80th Anniversary of the founding of the organization of the congregation was celebrated on October 19, 1941 with the dedication of a new entrance to the church. Land on Waterloo Road (now Bridgeport Road) was purchased in 1949, with plans to build a newer and larger church. It was not until May 27, 1956 that a ground-breaking ceremony was held to signal the beginning of construction of the new church. The cornerstone was laid July 15, 1956, and on March 31, 1957 the new church was offically opened and consecrated by Dr. A.G. Jacobi, President of the Canada Synod. Final services had been held in the old church one week before, on March 24, 1957. (The old church building had been advertised for sale on February 9, 1957.)

      According to Eylands (1945:92) the church at one time was joined in a parish with St. James in St. Jacobs, and St. Matthew's, Conestogo. Of interest: The hand which was on the steeple of the old church is now on the former Freeport United Church which was relocated in 1962 to Doon Heritage Crossroads.

      Records:
      Baptism dates: 1859-* Location of records: at church
      Marriage dates: unknown Location of records: at church
      Burial dates: 1873- Location of records: at church

      *The first baptism recorded in St. Paul's Church Book was July 18, 1859.

      [ADDRESS/LOCATION: 544 Bridgeport Rd, Waterloo, ON N2K 1N7; 743-4464.]
      References: Bridgeport W.I.; Cronmiller 1961:146,180; Eylands 1945:92; Featherston, WHS 1939(27):82; Lamb, WHS 1979(67):60; R. Taylor 1986; Waterloo Trust 1967; Weicker, 1985; WHS 1965(53):20; Zimmerman, WHS 1964(52):40-41.
      Church History: Centennial 1861-1961. A Brief History of St. Paul's, Bridgeport, 1961.1a

      1aAmbrose, Rosemary. Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide to Churches Established Before 1900. Kitchener, Ontario, Canada: Waterloo-Wellington Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society, 1993. [used the kind permission of Rosemary Ambrose 2011]

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsChurch - congregation - Abt 1861 - 544 Bridgeport Rd. E., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBorn - constructed 1956 - 544 Bridgeport Rd. E., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth