Heritage Snapshots series by Hawkesbury Visitor Information Centre

As you walk the streets of historic Windsor, you’ll come across a large building with a towering spire. Now known as the Church Bar (located on Kable Street), its long history is almost as enticing as their menu.

Since settlement in the area, the local communities in Windsor did not have a purpose-built house of worship. Due to this, 1866 would see a fellowship forming, determined to establish a stable place of worship for the community. Thus far services had been held in the local hall and stores, however, after the Windsor School of Arts declared that no further religious services should be held in the hall, the group soon secured land for a Church to be built.

On the 26th of March,1869 - Good Friday of that year - the first foundational stone of the Windsor Congregational Church was laid. Building concluded later that year, and the Church was officially opened for worship on the 24th of August. It was reported that approximately 400 persons were present at the tea that was held after worship that day, a large number of these visitors had travelled from across Sydney to ‘check out’ the brand-new building. As more locals became regular members of the Church, more space was necessary and so in 1871 a gallery was built. This was necessitated by the Windsor Presbyterian Church congregation joining the Congregationalists due to their lack of a minister at that time. Ten years later, in 1881, the minister’s residence was built.

As the number of Congregationalists in Windsor dwindled, the Church was no longer a vibrant part of the community, and the Church eventually disbanded in 1922. The land was quickly sold to members of the local Freemasonry Lodge, who had been seeking a more permanent meeting place. They had lost their previous meeting space, possessions and records in the flood of 1867, and again in a fire in 1874, and were, until the point that the old church was purchased, holding meetings at the new Oddfellows Hall. Upon their relocation to the Kable Street location, they changed their name from ‘The Lodge Windsor Social’ to ‘Lodge Richard Coley’ in honour of a local attorney and prominent community figure of the same name.

Today the building is used for commercial purposes, its current iteration being The Church Bar, Windsor. A delicious lunch menu is available from Wednesday to Saturday, allowing visitors to take in the historic building with high ceilings and stained-glass windows, and continue its traditional purpose as a meeting place for locals and visitors alike. Guests can also enjoy live music every Sunday between 12pm – 3pm. Pop in for a meal with friends and bask in the heritage of historic Windsor.

Interested in learning more about the Historic Hawkesbury? Check out our Heritage Highlights! Self-guided tours including maps and information about significant historical sites.

Image 1: The Church Bar, Windsor, 2024 (Hawkesbury Visitor Information Centre)
Image 2: Lodge Richard Coley, Windsor, c.1870's- 1880's (Hawkesbury Library Service)