A year ago we happened to be driving through Woodstock, Ontario on Easter Sunday, on our way to visit my sister in nearby Shakespeare, Ontario for Easter dinner. We ended up taking a wrong turn in Woodstock and came across what was left of a beautiful turn of the century Church.
Only the front wall was still standing in what had been St. Mary's Catholic Church. After doing a little research I found out the property had been sold and the front of the Church had been preserved and was to be incorporated into a senior's home to be built on the property.
Little did I know at the time that a year later I would be living only 15 minutes away from Woodstock, in Tavistock. I recently drove around Woodstock trying to locate the property again and to see if there had been any further progress on the site.
Nothing had changed since my last visit. The beautiful facade remains with perhaps a bit of deterioration. The fence around the Church remains but there is no sign of activity.
I felt very sad when I came across a photo of the whole Church as it looked prior to demolition. A fellow member of Flickr had taken some shots of the abandoned Church before demolition occurred. I've included that photo by Phrenzee below.
I have a hard time seeing historic buildings destroyed. While I applaud the intent of the retirement home to incorporate the front of St. Mary's into their plans, I wonder when this will ever happen. The longer the structure sits as is, the more it will deteriorate, perhaps to the point that the developer may nix their original plans.
This is all speculation on my part as I have no information to prove me right or wrong, only that over a year has gone by since I noticed this grand old structure and I have no idea how long before that, it had been demolished.
Today I'd just like to share the beauty of this once fine gathering place and I hope that it does survive in another form to be enjoyed and admired.
St. Mary's Church - Woodstock, Ontario - Photo by Phrenzee - Before demolition
All that remains of St. Mary's Church - Front shot
St. Mary's Church from the back - All that remains of a grand old Lady
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