When the church was under construction in 1876, a big wind came up. I suppose today we might call it a 'weather bomb'. The building was not properly braced or else was at a very vulnerable stage of construction. The men of the congregation had to go and help David Kirk brace the building. They all had to work hard and almost lost the battle with the wind; some of it did, indeed, blow down. They were afraid that it was all going to collapse. The congregation was upset with Kirk for not properly bracing the church during construction and did not pay him for the time spent in repairing the damage. The steeple is quite high. We're not clear whether they used staging or long ladders to build the steeple. The story goes, however, that David Kirk had a brother Robert who was a sailor. He was, of course, used to heights. It was arranged that Robert would place the ball on top of the steeple. Apparendy, when Robert had securely fastened the ball, he stood on the ball with one foot. (A second story passed down orally tells that David Kirk , on the day he completed the towering steeple, placed his hand on the rounded ball at the top and did a hand stand in celebra¬ tion. Either way, there was a safety rail enclosing the structure.) The present ash woodwork in the church, the part above the pews, was completed in 1899. The work was again done by David Kirk . Underneath the ash woodwork is the old plaster. The bottom portion by the pews, of course, is the wood from the Milligan church. The present oak pews were placed in the church in the 1960s. Prior to that, there were three rows of pews with two aisles. The old pews had shelves under the seats for the men's hats. Of course, the women wore hats in those days. The church was heated by two stoves, one at the front by the choir loft and one behind the centre row of pews, just in front of the doors. Apparendy these old pews were purchased by each family buying their own pew. Each Sunday they would then sit in their own comfortable pew. Our church is a picturesque style and many beautiful 67 Church Property: Past and Present