Twenty-five years ago, the Friends of the Rockingham Church welcomed dignitaries and the public to celebrate the newly restored Rockingham Church. This year, on August 10, they welcome the public to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of that restoration. Above: Inspecting the Rockingham Church ball tower. (Photo submitted)
Guest speaker Sean Conway is well known throughout the Valley as the area’s long-serving Member of Provincial Parliament (1975-2003). On retiring, he returned to academic life, holding teaching and research positions in history at Queen’s, the University of Toronto and Ryerson.
Well known also as an engaging speaker, Sean will talk about a society rapidly evolving beyond the rougher times of pioneer life and the timber trade in his talk, Religion and Education on the Ottawa Valley Frontier in the Mid-19th Century.
Complementing the talk will be some lively fiddle and guitar music from the popular YoYo Mamas, with a selection of tunes drawn from the Ottawa Valley, Quebec and the East Coast, along with Appalachian and traditional Celtic tunes.
The event takes place at the Rockingham Church, 513 Rockingham Road, at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 10, followed by refreshments outdoors.
Twenty-five years on, it’s no surprise that the little church on the hill needs some repair help again. Summer sun and winter winds and snows have taken their toll on the roof. Though the roof itself is still sound, the cedar shingles are getting spongy and mossy and it’s time to replace them.
The bell tower too needs some repairs. Most important is a more secure attachment to the roof. Planned is a hidden support structure that will extend down into the roof where it will be secured to the roof framing.
The Friends have been conscientiously fundraising and saving all these years for the time this work would be needed. They have raised more than half the estimated costs of $44,000. Unfortunately, an application to the Ontario Trillium Fund was recently declined. However, in the same week, a small Pennsylvania foundation stepped up to offer significant help. But there is still a gap of several thousand dollars to fill. The Friends of the Rockingham Church gratefully welcome any donation, large or small. Please donate in the box at the Celebration, online at rockinghamchurch.org or by cheque to: Friends of the Rockingham Church, Box 271 Combermere, ON K0J 1L0. Tax receipts are issued.
Friends of Rockingham Church(2025,July31) The Rockingham Church Celebrates 25 Years and Prepares to Fix the Roof [media release]