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Bethesda Church and Burying Ground


Location
The Region of York - Markham
In Unionville at the end of the southern entrance to the William Berczy Settlement Historical Cemetery, on the east side of Kennedy Road just north of 16th Avenue


Photographer
Alan L Brown
Posted
April 27, 2004

Text from the Plaque
When the first German settlers led by William Berczy arrived in this area in 1794, they were accompanied by the Rev. S. Liebrich who established here one of Upper Canada's earliest Lutheran congregations. Services were held at first in the house of Phillip Eckardt, but under the guidance of the Rev. Johan D. Petersen, who was pastor 1819-29, a church named St. Phillip's was constructed on this site in 1820. Eckardt donated the land for the church and burying ground, and this log structure, later renamed Bethesda, was used by the congregation until it was replaced by a brick building in 1862. The latter was moved to Unionville in 1910.

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