Former Morpeth Church on Hill Road (Via Google Maps)Former Morpeth Church on Hill Road (Via Google Maps)
Chatham

UPDATE: 144-year-old church building in Morpeth to be demolished

The owner of a former church in Morpeth that's over a century old says the building is in its final days.

On Monday, council approved to remove the property located at 19062 Hill Road from the Municipal Heritage Register, which will allow demolition of the church structure to proceed.

The subject property is located on the west side of Hill Road, south of Talbot Trail and contains the former Morpeth Anglican Church, which was constructed circa 1877.

According to the staff report coming to council, the church was one of the first places of worship in the community and is surrounded by some of Morpeth’s oldest properties.

The property was added to the Municipal Heritage Register in 2010 due to its cultural value or interest to Chatham-Kent.

However, in  August 2021, the municipality received a demolition permit application from the owner of the property to demolish the existing church structure. Under the Ontario Heritage Act, owners of properties on the Municipal Heritage Register must provide 60 days notice of their intention to remove or demolish any buildings.

According to a letter sent to the municipality, the structure is beyond repair.

Damage inside former Morpeth Church (Photo via The Municipality of Chatham-Kent)Damage inside former Morpeth Church (Photo via The Municipality of Chatham-Kent)

Damage inside former Morpeth Church (Photo via The Municipality of Chatham-Kent)Damage inside former Morpeth Church (Photo via The Municipality of Chatham-Kent)

Damage inside former Morpeth Church (Photo via The Municipality of Chatham-Kent)Damage inside former Morpeth Church (Photo via The Municipality of Chatham-Kent)

Damage inside former Morpeth Church (Photo via The Municipality of Chatham-Kent)Damage inside former Morpeth Church (Photo via The Municipality of Chatham-Kent)

 

"The bell tower is crumbling and sinking," read the letter. "The floor has a crawlspace only...It has a lot of dry rot and needs replacing. The brick on the outside is soft, much of it needs replacing. The foundation is coming apart and doesn't meet today's building code."

The owner notes that if the building is demolished, they would like to put up a monument in its place.

According to the report, The Municipal Heritage Committee was consulted on removing the property from the register.

"That Municipal Heritage Committee supports the removal of 19062 Hill Road, Morpeth, from the Municipal Heritage Register," read the report. "The Municipal Heritage Committee also recommends that any items that could be preserved be removed and repurposed."

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