While a drive through Bruce Mines and Plummer Additional Township will reveal many buildings dating back to the 1800’s, there are some buildings that have been specifically designated by their municipalities as heritage sites.

Rydal Bank Church
1634 Highway 638, Township of Plummer Additional Municipal

Heritage Site designated by the Township of Plummer Additional and listed on the National Register of Heritage Sites at www.historicplaces.ca.This website may be consulted for more detailed information about this building and its history.

The Rydal Bank Church is an excellent example of a simple wooden country church. It was built in 1907 on a stone foundation that includes pieces of Puddingstone, a local conglomerate rock.

The clapboard sided building features a steeple, large gothic arched stained glass windows, as well as decorative wood shingles and pierced board trim on the front gable end. The interior of the building presents a rich natural wood panelling, white-globed lamps, wooden pews and pulpit which are testimony to the craftsmanship of the early residents of the community.

The Church is owned and maintained by the Rydal Bank Historical Society and the history has been documented in the book, The Rydal Bank Church: The First 100 Years. This book may be consulted at the Bruce Mines and Plummer Additional Union Public Library or at the Township of Plummer Additional Office.

Rydal Bank Community Hall
16 Hoath Street, Township of Plummer Additional

Municipal Heritage Site designated by the Township of Plummer Additional and listed on the National Register of Heritage Sites at www.historicplaces.ca. This website may be consulted for more detailed information about this building and its history.

The Rydal Bank Community Hall was constructed around 1896 as the Loyal Orange Lodge, Rossmore No. 356 Hall. It was made available to all for social gatherings and events held there, including a shooting match on Christmas Day in 1903, a grand ball and box social in 1908, and a meeting to establish a Patriotic Society in 1915, which have been documented by the Rydal Bank Historical Society.

In 1959, membership in the Orange Lodge had declined to such a point that the Toronto Lodge saw little merit in keeping the organization and the hall operating and ordered the building be burned. Community protest was vociferous and it banded to preserve the Hall. This potential event sparked the movement to preserve Rydal Bank’s heritage.

In 1972, the Hall was sold to the Township of Plummer Additional following the closing of the Orange Lodge. Today, it is one of two public buildings remaining from Rydal Bank’s heyday and as such, is a rare example of the type of structure built for community use.

The Hall continues to serve the area as a community centre and is the official home of the Rydal Bank Historical Society. It houses a wide collection of artefacts donated to the Society and hosts the Society’s diverse heritage events.

The building is preserved and maintained by the Rydal Bank Historical Society. The Hall is also significant for its architecture, being the only structure of its kind in the Township and surrounding area. Its steeply pitched roof adds height to the one-storey front gabled building, constructed of clapboard with cedar shingles across the gable ends, and features 2 over 2 windows that are distinctive of the style used by local builder, Walter Robinson.

The windows are a full five feet in height and have full length double shutters on the interior. The interior has an ornate pressed tin ceiling, an elaborately framed stage, bead board wood paneling and a geometrically patterned hardwood floor.