Dundas Baptist Church

106-108 Park Street West, now home to the Hamilton City Ballet, has a long history dating back to 1842 when The Dundas Baptists purchased this lot for $131.00.

The first record of the Dundas Baptists is in the Free Church’s Minutes on June 27th, 1828. The Free Church was a space for multiple different denominations to gather, including the Baptists. After the Baptists purchased the lot from George Rolph, they constructed a red-brick Church which could seat around 100 people. Later in 1844 they also formed a Sunday School at the Church.

In 1865, a fire broke out from lot 104 Park Street West at McDonald & McKechnie’s Lumber & Planing Mill Shop. Notably, McKechnie later partnered with John Bertram and helped create the John Bertram & Sons Company. The fire gutted the Church. However, the Baptists soon began reconstruction, as well as expanding the Church westward for $200.00 and purchasing the now vacant lot (Dundas Baptists Church Parsonage).

The Church reopened in 1866 with seating for 300 people, stained glass windows, and a separate Sunday school on lot 106. In 1949 the Baptists installed a large hallway connecting the Church and the Sunday school. Since then, the Dundas Baptist Church has moved to 201 Governor’s Road.

Sources:

“Picturesque Dundas” 1972.

“Picturesque Dundas Update” 1981.

T. Roy Woodhouse Family History Collection.

“The Canadian Inventory of Historic Buildings”.