This is an interesting one, in Oldcastle just on the other side of the 401 on Howard Avenue, you’ll pass St. Stephen’s Anglican Church. While the story about the old rectory seems interesting, the architect noted for the new rectory is noted as Leslie Kemp, the only non local person involved in the project.

Leslie Kemp passed away back in his native England in October, 1997. He began his architectural career in London, England in 1926 at the age of 27, specializing in the design of movie theatres. He moved to Canada took over as chief architect for Odeon, after the drowning accident of Jay Isadore English in 1947, the previous chief architect of the theatre chain. He resigned from the Ontario Association of Archiects in 1967, having returned back to England. How such an important architect ended up designing this humble little rectory is a mystery. Perhaps a relative of his lived in the area or something? The rectory is still standing.

From the Windsor Star, June 21, 1958

2 District Parishes
Completing Rectory

OLDCASTLE — With construction not yet complete two district Anglican parishes can more than half pay for their new three-bedroom rectory.

The churches are St. Stephen’s of Oldcastle, and the Church of the Redeemer in Colchester North. The modern story and one-half home is being completed on the Oldcastle site just a few yards behind the old rectory. Rev. Gordon Houghton and his family have already moved into the $22,000 structure to allow wreckers to dismantle the frame home which has served as a rectory for an unknown number of years. The only record of the age of the old home lies in the fact it was moved to the present site 56 years ago when the Oldcastle church was built. It had, however, served as rectory for several decades before the move.

Building the home is practically all done within the parishes. All the money has been subscribed by the 300 families. Any additional money will be borrowed within the parish and the contractor, Robert Fawcett, is a member of the church. The only outsider to participate was Leslie Kemp, a Kitchener architect. The key figures behind the drive for funds are members of the combined finance committees of the church. The members are: George Youngson, Percy McKee, Hugh O’Neil of St. Stephens, and Henry Hartley
and Harry Pettypiece of Redeemer. On the building committee are: Murray Mitchell, Eric Banwell, Carl Esping, Jim Jenner and Frank Mascarin of St. Stephen’s and John Shuel, Steve Santo and Archie Hartley of Redeemer.