Liverpool Curling Club Property, Gorham Street, Liverpool, N.S.

I've always been curious about what was in a certain place before the present building was built there. For example, the Liverpool Curling Club. It's been there since the 1930s and for most of us, that's longer than we've been alive. What was there before the curling club was constructed?

Liverpool Congregational Church

Located on that property, basically where the parking area is, was the Liverpool Congregational Church. It was a large church and from photos that I have, in my opinion, probably the nicest looking church in town. The minister's home was directly across the street and in the late 1980s or early 1990s it was demolished to make the present parking area behind the Astor Theater. The Congregational Church was operational until the later 1920s when at that time, the Congregationalists and the Methodists united to form the United Church of Canada. The Methodist Church in Liverpool was on Main Street (now Zion United) and since the 2 congregations united to form 1, only 1 church was needed so the Methodist Church was the chosen building. Rev. George Ball was the last minister of the Congregational Church. He had suffered the loss of his only son who died from appendicitis when he was about 16 and then lost his church due to the union with the Methodists. The stress took it's toll of Rev Ball and it was said that he committed suicide in the Minister's residence across the street. The Congregational Church stopped being used as a church and I believe was used as a hall for a time and I believe someone said used as a place where auto repairs were done. (I forget who told me that, maybe someone can confirm it). When the Curling Club was built, the church was demolished. I've always thought the 2 cement steps that you can walk on from the sidewalk to the curling club parking lot were probably the steps that took you to the front door of the church. The cemetery for the Congregational Church is located on College Street on the right hand side, now known as the United East Cemetery. Rev. George Ball, his son and the rest of the Ball family are all buried in this cemetery.