New Prussia, Ontario

New Prussia is an unincorporated rural community in Wilmot Township, Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.[1][2]

New Prussia
Unincorporated rural community
New Prussia
New Prussia
Coordinates: 43°27′13″N 80°45′25″W
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
RegionWaterloo
TownshipWilmot
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Forward sortation area
N0B
Area code(s)519 and 226
GNBC CodeFEAOH[1]

The Nith River flows a short distance east of the settlement.

New Prussia prospered during the mid-1800s, though little remains today of the former settlement.

History

New Prussia was settled by Roman Catholic immigrants from the Rhine Province of Prussia.[3]

A school was erected in 1859 and named "SS#18, New Prussia School". An addition was added in 1952. The school closed in 1966, and was converted into a commercial property. The extant school building has been described as "one of the last physical remnants of the settlement" of New Prussia.[4]

In 1863, the Guenther House was built, and has remained one of the longest continually run century farms in the area. The house is listed on the Wilmot Township Heritage Register.[5]

Decline

The population of New Prussia declined during the late 1800s when many German immigrants in Waterloo County moved west to Bruce County to purchase inexpensive Crown land. This westward movement of German immigrants was called "Saugeen fever", after the Saugeen River which flows through Bruce County.[3][6][7]

The Wellesley Alliance Church is today located in New Prussia.[8]

New Prussia in 2017

References
  1. "New Prussia". Natural Resources Canada. October 6, 2016.
  2. "Wilmot". Statistics Canada. November 2, 2016.
  3. "Region Installs Wilmot's Final Few Historical Place Name Signs". New Hamburg Independent. June 24, 2014.
  4. "Region of Waterloo Public Building Inventory - Educational Buildings - Part 2" (PDF). Region of Waterloo. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 14, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  5. "Heritage Register of Non-Designated Properties for the Township Of Wilmot" (PDF). Township of Wilmot. December 7, 2015.
  6. Lenhard, J. A. (1936–37). "German Catholics in Ontario". CCHA Reports. Canadian Catholic Historical Association (4): 41–45.
  7. "New Prussia". Township of Wilmot. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  8. "Wellesley Alliance Church". Wellesley Alliance Church. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
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