Community Cooking Sessions

Next Sessions:

Sat July 25th 10am-1pm
Sun July 26th 6-9 pm

Recipes will be:

Potato and Green bean soup
Three bean salad
Pickled dill beans
Dessert - to be announced

For Information contact Betty Anne buff@persona.ca

Welcome to Newburgh United Church

Newburgh United Church is located in the quiet village of Newburgh, Ontario, just north east of Napanee. The historic limestone church can be found on Academy St.

The Newburgh church building is constructed from the local limestone and was dedicated in 1858 as the Newburgh Methodist Church. In 1967 Newburgh took in the former congregations of Wesley, Strathcona, Switzerville and, in 1974 that of the Camden East Presbyterian Church. It can now seat about 150 without using the balcony.

In 1899 a pipe organ was added to the sanctuary, and renovations in 1921 saw the floor being sloped and the old pews replaced. The interior of the sanctuary was completely repaired and painted in 2003.

This past summer a section of the church and tower were re-pointed and repaired, an ongoing need with stone buildings.

The major church committees are Session, and Stewards and Trustees.

As well there is a Cemetery Board that looks after Newburgh Cemetery, Camden V Cemetery and Switzerville Cemetery. Funds are: the Memorial Fund, Organ Maintenance Fund, Beautification Fund, Benevolent Fund, Building Fund and the Outreach Fund. The Outreach Fund was able to send $4,000 for Tsunami relief. Newburgh has always exceeded its M&S Fund goals.

The choir is an important part of our congregation. We have a senior choir, which performs throughout the area, and a junior choir. A praise band has been started in recent years and there are monthly praise services. Sunday School may be small in numbers but we have very dedicated teachers. We have recently added to Monika Cook to our staff. She brings many gifts in the area of children and youth, and continues to bring together youth and children from the surrounding area. We look forward to her continuing work and enthusiasm.

Fundraising revolves around dinners and an annual plant sale. Newburgh congregation has always pulled together to get the funds needed for capital improvements such as replacing the furnaces and roof, painting the interior of the church, and exterior stone work.

Sunday services begin at 11:00am with Sunday School during the service. Worship is lead by the Praise Band on the third Sunday of each month.

Community of Newburgh: Past and Present

Newburgh is a picturesque and historic village of about 700 people. It is located in a valley along the Napanee River, and is about 30 minutes from Kingston, 10 minutes from Napanee and around 35 minutes from Belleville, the three largest and closest centres.

Newburgh was first settled in 1820 by the sons and daughters of United Empire Loyalists. The site for the village was originally chosen because of the fast – flowing rapids and waterfalls along this stretch of the river, which were strong enough to power the waterwheels of the soon–to–be–constructed mills. Only a few years later there was a thriving village in the hollow of the valley, informally known as “Rogues’ Hollow”, although no – one nowadays is quite sure of the origin of the nickname. By 1839 the Newburgh Academy, one of the earliest schools in Upper Canada, had been founded. Shortly thereafter, in 1841, the Wesleyan Methodist Church was first established. The original wooden structure was replaced in 1858 by a limestone building which is now home to Newburgh United Church. In 1887 the village suffered through a devastating fire which destroyed much of the downtown area. Many of the original frame buildings were replaced with brick and limestone structures but in parts of the village some of the original frame structures remain.

Although an incorporated village and a distinct political entity, Newburgh became part of Stone Mills Township during the widespread amalgamation of municipalities in the 1990’s. The inhabitants of Newburgh are justifiably very proud of the historic and scenic character of their village. In fact, two books have been published about the village: Rogue’s Hollow – The story of the Village of Newburgh Ontario through its buildings (1983) and Old Newburgh Academy 1939 - 1965 (1977).

While Newburgh is a small village, it has a medical clinic, a post office, a garage, a gas station, two general stores, an LCBO, a picture framing shop, a gallery, an elementary school, a fire hall, and a very active resource centre in the old community hall which is home to a volunteer – run library, fitness and yoga classes, weekly euchre, a playgroup for moms and tots, the seniors’ club and activities for children such as Guides and Sparks. Villagers have access to dial – up (through Bell Canada) and high – speed (through cable tv) internet. The Conservation Area in the centre of the village includes a park area, a children’s playground, a small ball diamond for T – ball and a wonderful pond which the firemen maintain in the winter for community skating and hockey. The pond, and its adjacent conservation area, is also the site of the annual winter Canal Bash which is sponsored by the volunteer firemen. Next to Newburgh Public School is a well – maintained baseball diamond, soccer pitch, two basketball courts, and a beach volleyball court, all of which are used by both children’s and adults’ leagues. Because the elementary school is right in the village, a number of young families have chosen to live here. Highschool students are bused to Napanee District Secondary School, a large composite school in the town of Napanee, to Ernestown Secondary School in Odessa and to Holy Cross, the Catholic school in Kingston. Daycare is available in Camden East (five minutes away) for children 18 months to six years old.

The largest local employers are Embury’s farm – a huge poultry, beef and pork operation outside of the village, the Strathcona Paper Mill which recycles cardboard, about five minutes downstream at Strathcona and the Goodyear Canada tire plant near Napanee. Most people, however, commute to jobs in Kingston, Napanee and Belleville. While it seems to be a quiet little bedroom community on the surface, Newburgh is an active place to live.

Community Activity - Skate Park

Newburgh United Church Helps Build Skate Park

The village of Newburgh finally has a skatepark, thanks to the efforts of the members of Newburgh United Church and the local community.

Skateboarding has been voted the number one recreational activity among teens and is the third largest participation sport for ages eight to eighteen in North America. However, skateboarders often come into conflict with residents when the boarders use public roads, sidewalks and cement staircases to hone their skills.

Such was the situation in our village in the Fall of 2005, when Newburgh United decided to get more involved with the community by spearheading a drive to raise funds for the construction of a small, local skatepark aimed at the younger boarder who was unable to drive to the larger parks in Kingston and Napanee.

Because the church has a charitable organization number, it means that we are eligible to apply for United Way grants. Accordingly, in November 2005, and again in November 2006, we applied for and received two United Way Grants, which allowed us to purchase wood for four ramps. Four Grade 10 students in the Construction Class at Napanee District Secondary School built the ramps for us, thus allowing us to concentrate on further fundraising for the cement pad and the metal rails.

Quinte Conservation Authority allowed us to use Conservation land in the village of Newburgh for the site of the skateboard park. A local contractor donated his time and equipment to excavate the site ($1000); a local gravel pit donated four truckloads of gravel ($1000); the Newburgh-Camden chapter of the Lion’s Club constructed and donated four metal rails for the boarders to slide along ($1600) and the Township of Stone Mills donated a further $3000.00 towards the construction costs.

In total, Newburgh United and members of the village raised approximately $15,000.00
through grants, outright donations, fundraising dinners, carwashes, “tween” dances, yard sales, book sales, and collection jars in our two village stores. In August 2007 Newburgh Skatepark was officially opened with a pancake breakfast, a parade through the village, a skateboard demonstration on the new pad, and a celebration in the park, which included a balloon castle, children’s games and facepainting.

Instead of seeing skateboarders as trouble-makers, it is important to realize that they are our future volunteer firemen, policemen, paramedics, parents and citizens. Newburgh United has taken to heart the axiom that it takes a village to raise a child and is doing its part by continuing to support the skatepark.