Written By Denise Corneil, Ken Willis, and Mary Simpson
Nestled in the heart of Wardsville, Little Kin Park stands as a lasting testament to the community spirit that has defined this small town for generations. The park’s history is deeply connected to the legacy of St. James Anglican Church, the collective efforts of local residents and the Kinsmen Club.
The church era
The origins of Little Kin Park date back to the 1800’s when St. James Anglican (Episcopal) Church was a spiritual hub in Wardsville. A Rev John Gunne was licensed ‘To perform the office of Travelling Missionary’ by the bishop, for the Townships of Zone, Euphemia, Brooke, Ekfrid and Mosa on June 30, 1845. On one Sunday of each month, he would ride his horse from Zone Mills (Florence) which was his headquarters, to hold services in Wardsville, likely in private homes until a church building was erected.
The first official parish to be formed was Wardsville, Glencoe and Newbury in 1845. About the same time, land was given to the Church of England, for a church building by Dr. Abraham Francis. (102 acres on the south Part of Lot 20, Range one North of the Longwoods Road.) A home for the minister and his family was subsequently built on this property but the year is not known.
Despite the church’s earlier vibrancy, by World War I, membership dwindled to 87. The Great Depression further impacted attendance and financial stability. The church was deemed structurally unsafe in 1930. By March 1942, the church building was being dismantled. The final services were held at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Wardsville.
The Baseball Era
By 1948, the taxes on the nearby rectory property were in arrears, leading the County of Middlesex to auction the land. James Little, a dedicated local resident, acquired the property and took it upon himself to clean up the cemetery, even erecting a stone cairn to honor those buried there. In 1951, James and his wife, Margaret, sold the property to the Kinsmen Club for the symbolic sum of one dollar. The Kinsmen, with the support of the community, developed the land into a baseball diamond and a parking lot, naming the park “Little Kin Park” in recognition of both the Little family and the Kinsmen Club.
For many years, Little Kin Park served as a vibrant hub for community activities, hosting baseball games, picnics, Canada Day celebrations and other events that brought the town together. However, baseball in Wardsville saw a decline over the years due to changing interests, maintenance challenges, and broader regional trends.
Honouring the Dead
On April 30, 1986, the site of St. James Anglican Church was marked with commemorative plaques. The ceremony, led by Bishop Derwyn Jones of the Diocese of Huron, highlighted the importance of preserving local history. “This is holy ground,”, Bishop Jones declared. “It is good for us to have a sense of where we have been and to realize the history of our settlers.”
Bishop Jones said that it is right that some edifices have disappeared. “We still maintain a oneness in Christ,” he added. “Buildings may disappear but we live under a banner of our eternal God who provides us with different places to worship.”
Three sides of the four-sided cairn, located in the Wardsville ball park, have brass-coloured plaques. One gives a brief description of the history of the church; the others list the names of the pioneers buried there.
The Walker name appears more numerous than any other, it is listed 7 times. Others are: Archer (2), Armstrong (3), Batzner, Bedford, Belford (2), Caisted, Campbell, Draisey (2), Dunlop, Fennell, Hammond, Harris (3), Johnson, Johnston, Keys, Labourer, McMaster (2), Merritt (3), Munro, Munroe (3), Nicols, O’Malley (2), Randall, Robinson, Shepherd, Staples, Stokes (2), Taylor (2), Vyse, Wilson and Wye (2).
Wardsville Community Remember Past Conflicts
In 2007, with the village’s bicentennial on the horizon, Wardsville citizens formed a community organization called Your Wardsville. Citizens organized events at the park to celebrate the arts and culture of this historic town. The Rebellion of 1837 and the War of 1812-1814 were big historical themes. How to commemorate solemn historical events was solved with the discovery of the new rural civic art called ‘barn quilts’. Citizens created a beautiful stitched story quilt depicting the lives of George and Margaret Ward. Then thirty 8-foot square quilt blocks were painted and installed throughout the village. This launched a wave of barn quilts across Canada which continues to this day.
Still, the park languished. Without water or washrooms and no one playing ball, the park went largely unused.
Today, the properties once occupied by St. James Anglican Church and its cemetery are maintained by the Municipality of Southwest Middlesex. The Parks and Recreation Master Plan of 2021 introduced significant changes. One-third of Little Kin Park, including the church and cemetery area, are designated for passive activities and a memorial garden.
In 2024, Council decided to build a 4600 square foot Accessible and Inclusive Playground which has just been installed by New World Park Solutions.
On September 7, the Your Wardsville Community Association’s annual Block Party will highlight the grand opening of the new playground. Festivities will run from 4 to 8 p.m. with the opening at 5 p.m. www.yourwardsville.ca
