Village Squire, 1974-06, Page 13led to them finding Roy's church. They
travelled along Highway 83 to and from
Grand Bend from their Toronto home and
went exploring one day to see a unique stone
home near the church. It was then they
discovered the church and found out it was for
sale after the congregation had disbanded.,
The first Roy's church was built in 1851 on
land donated by William Roy. The walls were
built in 1851 but the roof of the log structure
was not erected until the next year. Those
were days when everyone wal .!d to church,
many for miles, and the young women of the
church walked without their shoes and only
put them on when they reached the church, so
the shoes would not wear out.
The log church gave way to a small brick
building which in turn was replaced by the
current big red brick building which was in
use until 1968.
The Smith's bought the church but for
some time didn't do anything with it as they
tried to decide just what their new possession
was best suited for.
Then, two years ago, with the job in
Toronto losing its charm, they decided to
move to the country and hired someone to
begin work on the basement of the church to
turn it into living quarters. Ross arranged his
job so he could work three days a week
(though he soon found the three days so
Strenuous he was as tired as befort) so he
could work on the new home. He has done
much of the work himself.
Upstairs, Shirley was designing her new
shop.
"I'd sit in the middle of the floor," Shirley
recalls, "and contemplate a section and come
up with an idea."
It was a challenge, she said to take all the
space she had and come up with interesting
things to do with it, without having the whole
place come out looking like a barn. She didn't
look at other stores because she didn't want
to be preconditioned. So, she sat and
contemplated, and when she came up with
the idea she would still have to explain it to
her husband. The results are some delightful
interest areas that subdivides the whole large
area. There's a little house as you come into
the old church with glass walls so you can see
the goods displayed from both inside and
outside.
There's the little playhouse in the opposite
corner of the auditorium holds all sorts of
delights for children. In between, there is a
wide assortment of goods.
The shop opened for the first time last
summer, and scon it became a popular
past -time for people to drop by and browse
through the old church and have coffee and
home-made scones in the old choir loft now
refinished as a tea room. The first season
lasted until January when they closed the
shop down for the winter. It re -opened early
in April and already there are indications of a
busy season ahead. Several groups from
London have made appointments in advance
Candles sit on a table while lighted stained
glass windows brighten a corner.
For the style and comfort
you've been looking for - We
have furniture groupings to
match any decor or any room
in the house - At a price that
you will find in keeping with
the budgets of most
householders.
VILLAGE SQUIRE/MAY 1974, 11