Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church
It’s not in Barrie, but it’s not far.
At the intersection of the Old Barrie Road and the 3rd Line of Oro is perhaps the oldest remaining African log church on the continent.
The church was built in the 1840s (it’s official anniversary date is 1849) by the earliest Black settlers to Canada and families of soldiers who served in an all-Black militia during the War of 1812.
Yup, this important piece of history is right in our backyard.
The Barrie Historical Archive’s resident storyteller Mary Harris wrote an account of one of these militiamen, George, who had been born into slavery in Virginia about 1769. He came to Canada prior to 1812 and was a member of Runchey’s Company of Coloured Men, a corps of Black soldiers. Read this touching story here.