Kettleby Sons of Temperance Hall
While the Laskay Emporium and Rose's Blacksmith Shop, from King Township, may be better known attractions at Black Creek Pioneer Village, the Sons of Temperance Hall from Kettleby is equally noteworthy. The temperance society in Kettleby signed up 250 members between 1842 and 1850 and had the largest membership in Ontario. With the mills running 24 hours a day and two bustling taverns, drunkenness was a daily feature in the bustling hamlet and the temperance society was the antidote. The Temperance Hall was the centre of community activity for 100 years before being moved to Black Creek Pioneer Village in 1968, and later opening as the Black Creek Printing Office in 1971. This modern, subsequent use of the building may contribute to the somewhat lesser-known history of the hall.
Photos by Barry Wallace
These two houses stand side-by-side on the former site of the temperance hall. They are on the south side of the Kettleby Road, well up the hill, at the east end of the village. The plaque pictured above sit upon a post between the two houses. Below, the temperance hall is seen in its modern reincarnation as the Black Creek Printing Shop. The Charles Irvine Weaver Shop occupies a rear portion of the building.
Photo:wetcanvas.com
The second Kettleby structure to be moved to Black Creek Pioneer Village was the c. 1860 log chicken house. It was constructed of round log, which was not as weatherproof as squared log structures, but was was quick and inexpensive to build. It served its purpose well and long however and was moved to Black Creek in 1972. It was restored the following year.
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Barry Wallace
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