credit for establishing the Prebyterian congregation and the first Presbyterian 
     
     Church in Campbellton which was likely built on part of James Ramsay’s farm. 
     
     James Ramsay died on August 5, 1887. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Russell MacNeill said that his Aunt Mary MacNeill told him that the MacNeills 
     
     and the Ramsays used to walk to the Presbyterian Church in Lot 7 before the one in 
     
     Campbellton was built. They would pack a lunch Saturday night to have it ready for 
     
     Sunday morning. She also said that they would carry their shoes and stockings to 
     
     save them. At the church, there would be a tub of water in which to wash their feet 
     
     before putting their shoes and stockings on and entering the church. Aunt Mary also 
     
     said that in summer they walked fourteen miles every Sunday. In winter, it was not 
     
     easy to get to church, and this is what caused them to think about building their own 
     
     church in Campbellton. Another indication of the lack of pastoral services was re- 
     
     counted by Aunt Mary. Two infant sons of James MacNeill died and he and 
     
     James Ramsay carried the bodies to Alberton for burial. 
     
    
   
   
    
     There have been two Presbyterian Churches in Campbellton. The first one, pro- 
     
     bably of log construction, dates back to the 1840’s at least, and was erected on the 
     
     farm of James Ramsay about a mile or mile and one half south of the present church 
     
     building. Henry Cundall’s Map of 1851 shows the location of this primitive church 
     
     building. This was eleven years after the Presbyterian Congregation had been 
     
     formed in Campbellton. The first building was described as a drab structure with 
     
     little to mark it as a church. 
     
    
   
   
    
     By 1860, the Campbellton people had decided to obtain a new church to meet 
     
     the needs of a growing population. The new church, which still stands today was 
     
     built in 1861 or 1862 according to a record which states that the community had a 
     
     “new church, all paid for” in 1864. The original site of the new church was about 
     
     fifty feet south of where it stands now. It was moved in 1902 because it was too close 
     
     to the fence on the north side. In the beginning, the building had a squat roof with 
     
     very little pitch. The windows had square tops and small panes of glass about 10 x 12 
     
     inches. The shingles were blocked out the right length from long pieces, cut out with 
     
     an adze as thin and even as could be done, shaved with a drawknife, and put on with 
     
     cut nails. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Interestingly enough is that Harry Thomson has stated that this building was 
     
     originally constructed for a Mr. McLaughlin from Richibucto or Buctouche, New 
     
     Brunswick who intended to use it and a second building of similar design for a store 
     
     and a tavern. Harry Thomson said that the carpenter for these two buildings was his 
     
     great uncle, John Waters, who was married to Maria Thomson. 
     
    
   
   
    
     On a trip back to New Brunswick to obtain a load of rum for the tavern, the 
     
     boat containing Mr. McLaughlin overturned and Mr. McLaughlin drowned. Later, 
     
     the family of Mr. McLaughlin gave the two buildings to the village of Campbellton, 
     
     one for a church and the other, intended for a tavern, became a school. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Some modifications were made to transform the store into a church. The entry 
     
     contained a hallway which was about 6 feet by 8 feet and from it, two doors opened 
     
     into the sanctuary. Pews were placed in the center of the church and there was an 
     
    
   
   
    
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