Media Advisory - Provincial plaque commemorates First Regular Baptist Church in Dresden
DRESDEN, ON, Nov. 16, 2011 /CNW/ -
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| Date: |
Sunday, November 20, 2011 Anniversary service at 3 p.m. and plaque unveiling ceremony at 3:45 p.m. |
| Location: |
First Regular Baptist Church 121 Queen Street East, Dresden |
| Directions: |
From Sarnia: Take Highway 402 East to Exit 25 South (Oil Heritage Road), also known
as Highway 21 South. Continue to Dresden and turn left onto Queen
Street. From Toronto or Windsor: Take Highway 401 from Toronto or Windsor to Exit 101 (Kent Bridge Road). Follow Kent Bridge Road north to Base Line Road (Highway 21). Turn left and continue into Dresden. Turn right onto Queen Street. |
| Photo opportunity: | An anniversary service and the unveiling of a provincial plaque |
| Contact: |
Jason Clark Marketing and Communications Intern Ontario Heritage Trust Telephone: 416-212-0952 Email: jason.clark@heritagetrust.on.ca |
Join the Ontario Heritage Trust and the First Regular Baptist Church for an anniversary service and the unveiling of a provincial plaque commemorating the First Regular Baptist Church in Dresden.
As the oldest surviving congregation in Dresden, the First Regular Baptist Church is a historic sanctuary. Founding ministers Reverends William P. Newman and Samuel H. Davis were well-known abolitionists and stationmasters of the Underground Railway before moving to Dresden. With the help of their parishioners, they established a Baptist congregation, raised the funding to buy a lot on Queen Street and erected a building. The first church services were held November 15, 1857, and continue to this day.
Today, the original church stands as a lasting legacy to the former slaves and free African Americans who laid a firm foundation for the generations to follow.
This event is part of the Ontario Heritage Trust's program to commemorate the International Year for People of African Descent, made possible with funding from the Government of Ontario.
The Ontario Heritage Trust's Provincial Plaque Program commemorates significant people, places and events in Ontario's history. Since 1956, over 1,200 provincial plaques have been unveiled.
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For further information: Jason Clark
Marketing and Communications Intern
Ontario Heritage Trust
Telephone: 416-212-0952
Email: jason.clark@heritagetrust.on.ca