The Reverend Johann Samuel Schwerdtfeger 1734-1803

Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted June, 2005

Plaque Location

The United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry
The Township of South Dundas
On the north side of Riverside Drive,
which runs parallel to Road 2 east of Road 8
(street number 13105)

Coordinates: N 44 55.971 W 75 07.744

Plaque Text

The first Lutheran minister to settle in this province, Schwerdtfeger was born in Burgbernheim, Bavaria, and studied theology at the University of Erlangen. Emigrating to America in 1753, he served as pastor of congregations in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York. Much persecuted for his allegiance to the Crown during the American Revolution, Schwerdtfeger moved to Canada in 1791. He settled here in Williamsburg Township and became pastor of a congregation of German Loyalists, which had been established in 1784, and by 1790 had constructed the first Lutheran church in what is now Ontario. Its site now lies beneath Lake St. Lawrence. Within a few years he had organized Lutheran congregations in neighbouring townships. He died in 1803 and was buried in the old church cemetery.

Related Ontario plaque
Lost Villages of the St. Lawrence

More
Information

More
Religion

More
South Dundas Plaques

Here are the visitors' comments for this page.

(none yet)

Here's where you can write a comment for this page.

Note: If you wish to ask me a question, please use the email link in the menu.

Note: Comments are moderated. Yours will appear on this page within 24 hours
(usually much sooner).

Note: As soon as the comment is posted, a link to it will appear on the home page in the section "Here are the 10 latest plaque pages with a new comment added by a visitor to this site."