St. James', Franklin Village

 



Our weekly Gatherings take place at 11.00am every Wednesday (except during January).

To contact us, please phone on 03 6331 4460.

History

Originally known as Franklin Village Chapel, this small stone church built by convict labour was the first of Bishop Nixon’s ‘Ten Little Oratories’.

The foundation stone was laid in October, 1844, with services commencing in the following April, at which time the cemetery only was consecrated.

The church was built on an acre of land sold to the Diocese for five shillings by Britton Jones, licensee of the nearby Sir William Wallace Inn. Money to build the church came from local subscriptions and a grant from S.P.C.K.

From 1847 for a number of years a village school also used the building, children paying a penny a day to attend.

The church was extensively renovated in 1926, at which time it was consecrated and its name changed to St. James’.

Interesting features within the church are a fireplace at the southern end, a Mason and Hamlin organ with a very ornate front intact, an impressive War Memorial to the men of the district who served in World War I, and extensive intricate carvings by Hugh Cunningham.