Beacon United Church has general oversight and responsibility for more than 500 households within the geographic area of Yarmouth County.

The present church building and Christian Education Center were officially dedicated Sunday, June 25, 1967.

In looking for a name for this church it was decided to call it BEACON because the word suggests a "guiding light". We hope that our church does indeed serve as a guiding light to all within its range. The name is in keeping with Yarmouth's heritage as a leading seaport in the days of sail, and the fact that the church is located on one of the higher points of land in the town. It is also, by chance, located on Beacon Street.

Beacon Church has a rich history. In 1967, congregations at Central United Church and Wesley United Church joined together to form Beacon United Church. County congregations from Port Maitland, Hebron, Arcadia, Tusket, Brenton, and Chebogue also joined together to become what is now Beacon. The following is a brief history of those founding congregations that have evolved into what we are today.

The first protestant church in Yarmouth County was the Chebogue Congregationalist Church. A house of worship was built in 1766 across from the Town Point Cemetery in Chebogue. This congregation held its first communion in 1772. In 1820 a second church building was erected and the present building on the corner of the Town Point road was built in 1860. At the time of Church Union in 1925, the Chebogue Presbyterian Church joined this congregation and became part of the Arcadia charge of the United Church of Canada.

A second Congregationalist church was built in 1784 on the site of the present day war memorial in front of the library. Known as the Cape Forchu Meeting House, this was taken over by the Baptists in 1800 and became known as the First Baptist Church or Old Zion Church.

By 1848, a group of Congregationalists began meeting for services in a building at the corner of Brown and Main Streets. In 1851 this congregation built the First Tabernacle Congregational Church on the present day site of Hamilton Manor on Main Street. In 1892, this church was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. The congregation then built the New Tabernacle Church on Collins Street. After Church Union this became Central United Church. In 1967, this congregation joined with Wesley United Church to form Beacon.

The Presbyterian Church in Yarmouth started with St. John’s Presbyterian Church, built in 1841 on the corner of Cliff and Kirk Streets. It was replaced by the New Saint John’s Presbyterian Church in 1876 on the same site. The old church was moved across the street. In 1925 when Church Union took place, most of this congregation joined with Central United and the building was sold. In the county, the Presbyterian Church of Chebogue shared a minister with St. John’s Presbyterian. In 1925, this congregation joined the Chebogue Congregation church to become Zion United Church or the United Church of Chebogue. The building of the Presbyterian Church of Chebogue was torn down at that time.

The Presbyterian Church of Carleton was built in 1887 and joined the United Church of Canada in 1925. In 1929, the congregation joined with Hebron and the church was closed. The building is now used by the Carleton Baptist Church as a church hall.

The Methodist faith was brought to Yarmouth by Captain Anthony Landers who owned land in the Hebron area. The first Methodist Preacher was Rev. Robert Alder who began preaching in 1816 in local homes, including the home of Captain Landers.

The Old Methodist Chapel was build at the foot of Butler Hill in 1825 and was used until Providence Methodist Church was built in 1860 on the site of the present South End Playground. When fire destroyed Providence Church in 1921, the congregation joined with Tabernacle Congregational Church on Collins Street. This was four years before formal Church Union.

In 1839, the Wesley Methodist Chapel was built on the corner of Main and Elm Streets. It became a Temperance Hall when the New Wesley Methodist Church was built on the corners of Main and Huntington Streets. At the time of Church Union this became Wesley United Church. In 1967, this congregation joined with Central United to form Beacon United Church and Wesley Church was torn down.

In Yarmouth County, the Methodists had many followers and Methodist Churches were built in a number on communities. The Arcadia Wesley Methodist Church was built in 1871. In 1925 it became the Arcadia Charge of the United Church of Canada. This charge also included Tusket and Chebogue. The congregation eventually transferred to Beacon and the church was torn down in 1984.

The Tusket Methodist Church was built in 1878. As previously noted, it became part of the Arcadia Pastoral Charge in 1925. In 1973, after Beacon was built, the building was sold to the Seventh Day Adventists.

The first Methodist Church in Hebron was built in 1878. It burned to the ground in 1890 and was immediately rebuilt. In 1925 it was renamed Faith United Church. After the formation of Beacon in 1967, the building was torn down.

In Port Maitland, the Wesley Methodist Church was built in 1897. In 1925 it became part of the United Church of Canada. In 1967, the congregation amalgamated with Beacon and the building was torn down.

A Methodist Church was established in Darling’s Lake in 1874. The building was torn down in 1920 and the congregation joined with Port Maitland.

The Rockingham (East Kemptville) Methodist Meeting House was built around 1892. Deeds show that the building was sold to the Baptist Convention in 1908. Some records show that Kemptville was part of the Port Maitland Charge.

The Plymouth Methodist Church was built in 1892. It became part of the United Church of Canada in 1925. The building was closed in 1929 and torn down in 1935. The pulpit was given to the Arcadia United Church.

Thanks to David Sollows for the historical information shown here.