Originally Published in Heritage Happenings, January 1990
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During the past two years, the Society has corresponded with Mr. Richard Yenney of Orangeville, Ontario, the great great grandson of Reverend or Pastor John Yenney, the only known minister of the Evangelical Church¹, one of Waterdown’s lesser known churches. Although there are many gaps in the history of this congregation, it is hoped that this Heritage Paper may alert people to its existence, and even produce further knowledge of its history.

The map of Waterdown village from the “1875 Illustrated Atlas of Wentworth County”, shows the location of the church on Mill Street North, just south of the Episcopal Church property (Grace Anglican Church) and occupying the remaining property to John Street. No photograph of the church is known to exist*, the only physical evidence remaining, is the date stone from the church, held by the Heritage Society.

Mr John Lillycropp of Kilbride presented the stone to the Heritage Society, November 1983. Mr. Lillycropp was interviewed about the ownership of the stone, and explained that “My father dismantled the church. He built the house at 25 John Street East from the church lumber, and the date stone used to be the bottom step at the back door”. Mr. Lillycropp’s older brother believes that the church was dismantled in 1910 or 1911 and that the John Street house was completed for the family to move into in 1916. Much later, when the house was sold, John Lillycropp removed the date stone and took it to Kilbride for safe storage.²

Although the date stone records 1870 as the origin of the church building, it is certain that the Waterdown congregation existed before this time, as in the Waterdown Directories of the 1860s, the Rev. John D. Yenney is noted as Evangelical Minister. Possibly the congregation met originally in member’s homes until the building of a church became necessary. It is known that the Nelson and Raglan Streets area of Waterdown was known by the nickname of “Dutch Town” by the old residents, possibly from hearing it so called by their parents. The name almost certainly resulting from the people living along these streets speaking German or “deutsche”, and thus the corruption of the word to Dutch. Many German names are to be found on monument stones in the Union Cemetery on Margaret Street. Names such as Metzger, Klodt, Kink, Burkholder and Hasselfeldt are examples of the small community that existed in the village. So the Evangelical Church that was built on Mill Street was most likely supported mainly by these people of a German speaking background.

Reverend John Yenney appears to have been minister of the Waterdown congregation for nearly forty years, and possibly the only one. John Yenney³ was of Swiss descent, born c.1821, but Swiss birth has not been proven at this date. The earliest known record shows him in New York City in 1850, his wife, Mary Ann Dean an American by birth. They left Rome, New York State in 1857, with their family and settled in Hamilton. In 1862, tax assessment records for the city note that he was living in Hamilton, a Minister of the Evangelical Association, whose church was located on the north side of Market Street between Hess and Caroline Streets.⁴

Rev. Yenney came to Waterdown in 1865, and remained in the village until his death in 1901. During his years of service, he was listed variously as an Evangelical Minister, German Minister, Minister of the Evangelical Association and a Lutheran Minister.

1. The Evangelical Church originated in the U.S.A. In 1794, Jacob Albright, a member of the Lutheran Church, left his church and became associated with the Wesleyan Methodists. Made a minister of this church in 1803, Rev. Albright preached to his predominantly German congregation in the language of the Fatherland. Perhaps because of this, friction developed and he resigned. In 1807, he was elected bishop of a new denomination – the Evangelical Association. The doctrine of the sect was almost identical to that of the Methodists. Many pastors preached the Gospel in the German tongue. Since many immigrant families had to speak English in their day to day work, there was a gradual neglect of teaching the German language, so the Church was the one place it was still to be heard – hence the association of German with the name Evangelical Church.
   
   During the years of its existence, the Evangelical Association has been known as the German Evangelical Church and the Evangelical United Brethren. Rev. C. J. Vais of Knox Presbyterian Church, Waterdown advised Mr. Yenney that the Evangelical Church joined with the United Church approximately twenty years ago.
2. Kennedy, Eilene B., “Old Church Stone Heritage Gift”, Flamborough Review, 23 November 1983.
3. Material supplied by Richard Yenney, Orangeville. Waterdown-East Flamborough Heritage Society Archives.
4. This church building was erected in 1861 and continued in use until 1954 when it was sold. The congregation is still in existence, although now known as the Linden Park Community United Church, located on East 16th Street and South Bend Road.

© The Waterdown-East Flamborough Heritage Society 1990, 2021.

Editor’s Note:

*Since this paper was originally published, one photo with the Evangelical Church in the background was found in a photo loaned to the Society by Mrs. Margaret Newell (see below). Should anyone know of a photograph that clearly features the Evangelical Church in Waterdown, please contact the Archivist.