Old Hay Bay Church is a National Historic Site of Canada and the oldest Methodist building in the country. Built in 1792 by United Empire Loyalists, this restored meeting house serves as a museum and venue for annual pilgrimage services. Its simple gable roof and rural setting provide a window into the 18th-century history & heritage of Ontario.
Old Hay Bay Church was built in 1792 on land donated by Paul Huff, making it the first Loyalist meeting house in the region and the oldest Methodist building still standing in Canada. The place has had a few lives. It was enlarged in 1835, closed as a regular church in 1860, spent some years as farm storage, and was reacquired and restored in 1910. What remains is a plain, honest building with wooden siding and a medium-pitch gable roof, sitting on a quiet stretch overlooking Hay Bay and the Bay of Quinte. It still holds a service once a year, and the rest of the time it works as a museum where the two-storey interior looks much the way it did when the Loyalists gathered here.
What to Expect
A rural setting overlooking the bay with a simple two-storey interior that reflects the early Upper Canada meeting house form. The cemetery on the grounds is worth walking through, and on a quiet weekday, you are likely to have the place to yourself.
Here’s What’s Different
- It is the oldest Methodist building still standing in Canada. Learn more.
- A National Historic Site of Canada, designated in 1957.
- The structure retains the essential characteristics of a pre-1840 evangelical meeting house.
Good to KnowÂ
- The church is still used for an annual pilgrimage service by the United Church of Canada. It is a popular spot for those on the Shoreline Drive seeking a peaceful historical stop.
- LOCAL TIP
- Come late August for the pilgrimage service, or visit on a weekday for a quiet walk through the lakeside cemetery.
- FAST FACTS
- The first meeting house built for Methodist worship in Upper Canada.
- The annual pilgrimage service is held every fourth Sunday of August at 3:00 pm.
Your Route
What We Offer
Common Questions
The service is traditionally held on the fourth Sunday of August at 3:00 pm.
It was the first meeting house built by Loyalists in Upper Canada specifically for Methodist worship, predating all other surviving structures.
Yes, the grounds and cemetery are open for public exploration during museum operating hours.
Yes, the restored church continues to host weddings, special parties, and commemorative services.
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Getting Here
2365 South Shore Road in Adolphustown
The site is a scenic drive along the water from Greater Napanee.