Doors Open

New In Loyalist Township

Doors Open Ontario is a province-wide celebration that provides a unique opportunity to explore and enjoy sometimes hidden and always interesting places and spaces in communities across Ontario - all free of charge!

Loyalist Township is excited to participate and host a Doors Open Event this June! Come and spend the day discovering some local history first-hand and celebrate our community's heritage.

Keep tuned for 2023 date! Front of historic house Fairfield House, Amherstview

Participating Sites

Bath Museum & Visitor Centre, 434 Main Street, Bath

Did you know...the Bath Museum and Visitor Centre has served the Village of Bath in many different capacities since it was first built in 1861. It was originally built as the Town Hall where the court sessions were held and also used as the municipal office for the village from its construction in 1861 to 1870. Later on, it was used as an auction house, a concert hall, the Legion Hall, and a sports venue, among other community uses.

Learn more by visiting the museum during Doors Open on June 18!

Fairfield-Gutzeit House, 341 Main Street, Bath

Did you know...the Fairfield-Gutzeit House has been a landmark on Fairfield Bay for over 200 years. The property is named after Mrs. Mabel Fairfield-Gutzeit, a descendant of William Fairfield, and her husband Dr. William Gutzeit, who were responsible for ensuring the property has remained a historic site.

Learn more by visiting the house during Doors Open on June 18!

St. John's Anglican Church, 212 Church Street, Bath

Did you know...this quaint little church shares a connection with the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. Drop by and visit St. John's Anglican Church in the village of Bath. Come inside and enjoy the craftsmanship of the traditional stained-glass windows. See if you can guess which of our windows have been carefully restored by a craftsman who also restored windows on the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. Peruse through old documents and photographs and be delighted by small-scale replicas of the two previous church structures which were destroyed by fire.

Check out how an Anglican Church sets up the altar for communion and find out about the background for those traditions. Take a few moments to read the plaques donated by parishioners to honour their loved ones who have passed. If you look closely, you may see the ghosts of parishioners sitting in the pews.

Collector spoons, bookmarks and cards available for a donation.

Learn more by visiting the church during Doors Open on June 18! After your visit, drop by St. John’s Hall next door to view over 50 original paintings for sale.

Bath United Church, 402 Academy Street, Bath

Did you know...the Church as it exists today, and as it stood before 1955, is a variant of the type of classical parish church developed in England by Sir Christopher Wren, one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, best known for his masterpiece, St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Learn more by visiting the church during Doors Open on June 18!

Emmanuel United Church, 63 Factory Street, Odessa

Did you know...the history of the Emmanuel United Church is a mosaic of several local denominations due to several mergers, the first of which occurred in 1884 and the second in 1925. The current building that houses the Emmanuel United Church was constructed in 1912 after a fire destroyed the previous structure.

Learn more by visiting the church during Doors Open on June 18!

St. Alban's Anglican Church, 67 Main Street, Odessa

Did you know...the stone church was originally built for the Methodist Episcopal congregation. The Saul brothers, William and Hugh, who at the time were prominent stonemasons in the area, had been contracted to complete the project. Construction began in 1870 and was completed by early 1871.

Learn more by visiting the church during Doors Open on June 18!

Free Methodist Church, 78 Main Street, Odessa

Did you know...during its earliest years, the Free Methodist Church was connected to several other churches in Wilton, Violet, Yarker, Petworth, Napanee, and Newburgh. In December of 1895, a Wilton society meeting was called to organize a class in Odessa.

Learn more by visiting the church during Doors Open on June 18!

Wilton Community Hall, 251 Simmons Road, Wilton

Did you know...the Wilton Community Hall is housed in the former Wesleyan Methodist Church. It was built in 1873 and is an example of the Gothic architectural style, created by local craftsmanship and materials. Renovations were conducted to the interior of the building around the year 1900 to show the continuation of traditions in the building trades and express the important role of the church for its community and congregation. The building is now home to the Wilton Community Association who operate and manage Wilton Hall as a community and cultural centre.

Learn more by visiting the Hall during Doors Open on June 18!

Wilton Cenotaph, Wilton

Did you know...Cenotaphs are erected to honour an individual or group of people whose remains are buried elsewhere. The Wilton Cenotaph was built to remember and commemorate five members of the Wilton community who served and perished in the First World War. The Wilton Cenotaph was unveiled on August 17th, 1920.

Learn more by visiting the Cenotaph during Doors Open on June 18!

Wilton Cheese Factory, 287 Simmons Road, Wilton

Did you know...the Wilton Cheese Factory has been in operation in the hamlet of Wilton since 1867, when the original building was constructed. In 1921, it was taken over by a Farmer's Cooperative venture, which are businesses owned and controlled by farmers, ranchers, or growers. The current structure was built in 1942 after a fire destroyed the original building.

Learn more by visiting the Cheese Factory during Doors Open on June 18!

Wilton Church, 242 Simmons Road, Wilton

Did you know...this church was built in the late 1800s as part of the Holiness Movement Church, founded by R.C. Horner from Shawville, Quebec. In the mid-1980s a two-storey addition was built that included a kitchen on the top floor and a Youth Room downstairs. The church was, and continues to be, active with the community and offers many programs.

Learn more by visiting the church during Doors Open on June 18!

Neilson Store Museum and Cultural Centre, 5220 Front Road, Amherst Island

Did you know...the Neilson Store served the island’s north shore from 1883 until its closing in 1976. The dock located behind the store on the north shore was originally for the Neilson business but was the docking place for commercial vessels, including the first Amherst Island Ferry between the island and Millhaven in 1929.

Learn more by visiting the Museum during Doors Open on June 18!

Dry Stone Walls, Amherst Island

Did you know...the dry stone walls on Amherst Island were built using technical knowledge and skills that had been brought to the island with the migration of Irish settlers to the island. Today many of the dry stone walls are protected under a designating by-law and are cared for by the community.

Learn more by visiting the Walls during Doors Open on June 18!

Pentland Cemetery, Amherst Island

Did you know... the Pentland Cemetery was in service from 1831 through to 2001 and was Amherst Island's first non-denominational cemetery, occupying land that runs between Front Road and Lake Ontario. The cemetery got its name from the Pentlands who owned one of the neighbouring farms, the Towerine Farm, and who had donated part of their land for the cemetery along with other families whose farms were located on the perimeter of where the cemetery now stands.

Learn more by visiting the Cemetery during Doors Open on June 18!

St. Alban's Anglican Church, 5000 Front Road, Amherst Island

Did you know...the St. Alban’s Anglican church on Amherst Island was built in the late 1880s and consecrated on February 5, 1890. The church was built by J. Allen MacDonald with the Moutray, Maxwell, Neilson and Patterson families all being instrumental in aspects of its construction. The current church bell was cast in 1836 and is likely the original bell from St. James Anglican Church.

Learn more by visiting the House during Doors Open on June 18!

Fairfield House, 4574 Bath Road, Amherstview

Did you know...the Fairfield House was built in 1793 and preserves the building skills of the Loyalist settlers of eastern Ontario who arrived in 1784. The House offers one of the best-preserved late 18th century buildings in Ontario.

Learn more by visiting the House during Doors Open on June 18!

Trinity Presbyterian Church, 9 Manitou Crescent West, Amherstview

Did you know...the Trinity Congregation started off as the Amherstview Community Presbyterian Church in 1960. Originally services had been held at the Amherstview Public School until 1970, when the church located on Manitou Crescent West was completed and ready for use.

Learn more by visiting the Church during Doors Open on June 18!

St. Peter's Anglican Church, 4333 Bath Road, Kingston

Did you know...St. Peter’s was a partner church to various Anglican parishes in the area during its first few years of life, but it continued to grow and became a church on its own on July 1, 1979.

Learn more by visiting the Church during Doors Open on June 18!

Amherstview Fire Hall, 363 Amherst Drive, Amherstview

Did you know...the Amherstview Fire Hall will have a historic Pumper on site for the Doors Open event! The 1962 King Seagrave Pumper served the residents of Ernestown and was based at the Amherstview Station for the majority of its service. It was then relocated to Amherst Island for a short time in the mid 1990s. The Pumper retired in 2000 and is currently owned by Chris Jeffrey.

Swing by the Amherstview Fire Hall on June 18 to learn more about the Pumper, see it for yourself and checkout the Station!

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