The centre for religious (and social) Newboyne life, for approximately a century and a half, was this imposing c1875 St Peter’s Anglican Church, one of the most striking and elegant churches of the township. This building replaced an earlier c1850 frame structure. The appealing photo reveals the church, shed for horses, with the cemetery and stone vault ( for storage of caskets during the winter months when the ground was frozen) located across the road: a reminder of the once important role of the Anglican church in the rural Newboyne community (in 2017 the church was deconsecrated with a subsequent sale to a private owner). The cohesiveness of community was completed with a brick one room school (now also closed) situated on an adjacent lot.

1967, the last grade 8 class of the Newboyne Public School, SS # 2, Bastard & South Burgess.

The school was closed in that year with the building purchased by the Newboyne Anglican Church to be used as a community centre. Actually the school had been used as such since its initial construction. This brick school replaced an earlier frame structure which burned c1917. At the same time the nearby Harlem school burned as did the parliament buildings in Ottawa leading to a local rumour that the fires were WW 1 related (‘arson by the Germans’), for there was much anti German sentiment during WW 1.

The beginning of the Newboyne community is similar to most eastern Ontario settlements as it was related to the desire of the British government, following the war of 1812, to protect its holdings in Canada. To that end British citizens were encouraged to settle in Canada, one of these groups being the southern Protestant Irish many of whom settled in eastern Ontario.

An area in which some of these Irish settled became the community of Newboyne with the name, originally spelled New Boyne, commemorating the 1690 battle fought in Ireland between the armies of William of Orange and James Stuart. The victory of William aided in ensuring the Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland (until the early 20th century).

Not unexpectedly, an Orange Lodge, a fraternal organization ‘to ensure a continued Protestant Witness in Canada ... to perpetuate the memory of William of Orange ...’ became part of the community. Many were the Newboyne residents who marched faithfully in July 12 parades in nearby communities. The former Orange Lodge building, located alongside County Road 5, fell into disuse and has been repurposed by an adjacent landowner.

c1860 Farm home of one of the pioneering Newboyne familiesThe small hamlet of Newboyne, settled originally c1830, had grown by 1900 into a well-established farming community with numerous small farm based businesses, such as a general store (including a post office which was replaced in 1918 with rural mail delivery) a blacksmith shop, tailor and shoe shop. In the mid 1880s a cheese factory became part of the commerce of the community, lasting well into the 20th century.

With the depopulation of rural areas, larger farms and improved transportation, small communities such as Newboyne became shadows of their former selves. However the former St Peter’s Anglican Church continues as a reminder of the past glories of this historic settlement.