THEN AND NOW: Looking back at Holly United Church

The village of Holly was named by W.C. Little, MP South Simcoe, for a village in his homeland of Gloucestershire, England. Little named other area villages as well: Stroud, Ivy and Vine.

The road to Holly from Allandale was little more than a blazed trail until ‘new’ Essa Road was surveyed in 1849 and subsequently opened.

Long ago, in rural and urban communities alike, people gathered in private homes to worship until actual churches could be built. In Holly, this was the case in 1857 until the first Methodist Church was erected in 1859.

The earliest settlers first met at the home of Thomas Lougheed, a homesteader to Holly in 1845. The local pioneers themselves constructed their church from logs…the women of the community baked for days in preparation for a fundraising tea to cover the cost of supplies for the church.

Country churches at that time were often on a circuit until such time that they had their own minister. In spite of its proximity to Allandale, Holly was not on that circuit, but was provided with ministers from Barrie and at one point even Angus.

Later, the church was on a pastoral charge with Burton Avenue United Church until 1959, when Holly and Egbert became part of the Thornton charge. In 1966, the congregations of Holly, Thornton and Cookstown established a new charge.

The humble log church in Holly was used for about 40 years until a new brick church opened in 1900, at what is now the intersection of Mapleview Drive and Essa Road.

The Holly church continued to be a busy hub in the community. The Holly Ladies Aid, later known as the United Church Women, formed in 1906. Over the years, this industrious organization supported their church, their community and beyond with decades of bakes sales, bazaars, church suppers and other fundraisers.

The last service of the Holly United Church was held on Jan. 3, 1972. The sacred objects, artifacts and other belongings of the Holly church were dispersed to new homes: the Communion table and Baptismal font went to the Ivy Presbyterian Church, the Cross and silver bread plates to the Stroud United Church, velvet table and alter coverings to Grace United Church and communion sets, choir gowns and hymn books to Faith Missionary Church.

Practical items such as the piano, coffee urns, dishes and cutlery along with stacking tables and chairs went to the Holly hall (formerly the school house on Harvie Road before it was repurposed as a community centre, then demolished). The Simcoe County Museum received the collection box, creams and sugars, pewter vases and wine cruet.

After the church closed, it was purchased by the Seventh Day Adventists. The structure is now a commercial property. The former church may be one of the very last buildings of ‘old Holly’ that is still standing.