In 1817, at a revival in the Brickman neighbourhood back of Rednersville, Peter Redner was converted and became the "first class leader".
In 1823 Anson Green, (Reverend Anson Green D.D., a distinguished Methodist) a young Yankee school teacher with an "exhorter's license", was prevailed upon to preach to a group of young Quakers in the Bloomfield settlement. The following year he supplied for Reverend David Wright commencing at German's and Pleasant Bay, then Consecon, Dempsey's and Redner's. In 1825 after a year on the Smith's Creek Circuit he returned to the Hallowell Circuit. On Sunday the second of October he commenced his work at Pleasant Bay taking Consecon in the evening. On Monday he preached in Brother Dempsey's house and on the fourth he rode to Mr. Redner's and preached in his own house. On the fifth in a schoolhouse on Massassauga Point. Thursday in Brother Snider's house. On the 29th he completed his circuit at Mr. German's house, in the seventh town (Ameliasburgh) which included Hillier township.
By 1848 the Methodists in Ameliasburgh had increased to the extent that those at Rednersville and vicinity held a meeting in the village on September 23 and "resolved that a subscription be opened and circulated for the purpose of building a Wesleyan Methodist Church in Rednersville immediately. A second meeting was held on the 14th of October in the schoolhouse in the village with Reverend Richard Jones, Superintendent of the circuit in the chair at which Owen Roblin, James Redner, Marshal B. Roblin, Philip Roblin and Robert N. Sheriff were appointed a building committee. In January a meeting was held in Rednersville and it was decided to purchase a half acre of land on Lot 73 in the rear of the village and that "the building of stone 36 x 48 feet and have a steeple and gallery on three sides, two windows on each side and two in the front of Gothic form." The contract was let "for the sum of four hundred pounds currency to be finished in a workmanlike manner according to a specification to be immediately prepared." The subscribers were nearly all living in the whole township. The building was erected in 1849 and on January 26, 1850 the building was accepted from the contractor.
On Sunday February 17, 1850 the Church was dedicated to the service of the Almighty God. The Reverend Enoch Wood, D.D., General Superintendent of Missions, preached at the 11:00 a.m. service and the Reverend Peter Jones (Kahewaquasonaby), Indian missionary preached at the 6:30 p.m. service with a collection being taken at the close of each. Mrs. Charles Biggar, of the "Carrying Place" at whose home Reverend Anson Green was given a warm welcome on his first and second circuits, gave a large Bible at the dedication service which is autographed by the Reverend Enoch Wood. It is now kept in a case at the church for all to see.
Years later the steeple had to be replaced with the present tower and a choir loft was added just behind the pulpit. The old horse shed was taken down after the motor car replaced the horses some of whom would whinny if the parson went beyond his usual time. Gone also is the old hickory tree out in front and the lamppost. The former Demorestville Presbyterian church was moved in sections and added on at rear for a hall and the original box stoves at the back of the church with their long string of pipes have been replaced by a hot air furnace.
Dwindling congregations forced the closure of Rednersville United Church on February 27, 2005. They amalgamated with Albury Church on March 6, 2005.
Prince Edward Cty. - Loyalist's descendants sell 203 -year-old family homestead.
09.22.05 For the first time in 203 years, the locally famous Redner family homestead, located in the village of Rednersville, in Prince Edward County, is available for sale. The farm lot on which the Redner house stands was granted to Henry Redner in 1802. Now six generations later, Bernard Redner, in his 100th year, is offering the home for sale. With 11 children spread all over the continent no one is able to take over the property and the five-bedroom, 3,200-square-foot home.
By coincidence, for the first time in 156 years, the Rednersville United Church is also available for sale, both being offered by Gordon Auctioneers & Realty Inc., a Kingston based real estate auction firm. Family members still proudly display the Crown Patent for the land which was granted to their patriarch in 1802. The village of Rednersville grew around the family plot.
A staunch United Empire Loyalist and one-time member of the New Jersey Volunteers, Henry Redner originally lived in a log cabin on the property. After the cabin was destroyed by fire, his grandson, James Redner, built the current stone house across the road from the water in 1840.
The 165-year-old home contains most of its original features including 24" thick solid stone walls, spacious principal rooms, original baseboards and trim, hard and soft wood floors, deep window ledges, original archways and ten-foot ceilings. "Step into the centre foyer and you'll feel as if you've stepped back six generations in time," says Gordon's Senior Marketing Consultant Manson Slik. "It's a grand stone home, rich in detail and Prince Edward County history, written about in several local books."
The house sits regally on a hilltop above the Bay of Quinte, offering a commanding view of the water. Lined with lush, mature pear and apple trees, the 22-acre property could support more fruit growth, making it a possible location for aspiring winegrowers looking to establish a northern county winery, or a small private estate winery.
The house will be sold by FaxBid Auction(tm) on Wednesday, October 5.
On the same day, Gordon's will also sell the nearby Rednersville United Church, located a stone's throw from the home. James Redner, the prominent businessman who built the stone house in 1840, was part of a five-man fund-raising team credited with erecting the church in 1849. The charming grey stone church features the original 11-foot-high stained glass windows, 27 pews and original pine flooring. Upgrades to the 19th century structure include a bell, donated in 1938 and an addition, made by moving a church from neighbouring Demorestville, nearly doubling the building's size. A 1983 renovation added an extra 1,000 square feet and included a modern kitchen and bathrooms.
Earlier this year, the church closed its doors and the congregation merged with the nearby Albury Church.
"The church is being sold by the congregation," explains Slik. "While the church and the house have some deep-rooted shared history, it's purely a coincidence that they're being sold at the same time and that our firm was hired to offer both properties. It is a pretty unique situation-offering 359 years of combined Prince Edward County history in relatively the same place." Both buildings have strong and direct historical ties to the very same man that built one property and assisted to build the other, in the village that bears his family name. Slik says, "It is really kind of eerie actually."
While both auctions will be held on October 5, they will be conducted separately.
Open houses for the Rednersville United Church are scheduled for 5 to 6 p.m., Wednesday, September 28. Open houses for the Redner family home are scheduled for 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the same day. Bids on both properties are due by 9 a.m., Wednesday, October 5.
For photos of the properties, more complete history, a web movie and more information, please visit www.GordonsRealestate.com.