Hillside Church

The old Hillside Church located at Old Finch Avenue and Reesor Road.
Old Finch Avenue is one of my favourite places in Scarborough. It is part of the old rural community of Hillside. The area, just north of the Toronto Zoo, has never really been developed. There are many old and rundown properties and big open fields. I believe its retained its rural feel because the region has become part of the Rouge River Conservation Area. (Rouge Park is just east of where Old Finch ends.)

Because of its old and forgotten feel, many ghost stories abound in the Hillside community. From a murdered girl to will cry if you sing "Happy Birthday" to children who will push your car to safety if you stop on the train tracks. Old Finch Avenue is just a very creepy kind of place!

The name originates from a "Hillside" mansion, which was built in 1872. The mansion still stands at Old Finch Avenue and Sewells Road. A schoolhouse was also built for the community and it is located at Old Finch Avenue and Meadowvale Avenue. For Scarborough residents, the old Hillside school is the same Hillside wildlife educational centre you may have visited on fieldtrips with school.

On my last visit to Old Finch, I took some pictures of the Hillside Church, which was built in 1877. It remains in tact, but there are no longer regular services at this place of worship.

I took a closer look at the door. Creepy, no? A padlocked door and a message written in pencil.

Another angle of the Hillside Church.

This is where I entered the cemetery. The graves date back to the 19th century.

I personally don't feel like there is anything wrong with taking pictures of cemeteries--especially old cemeteries. The way I feel is that if there are lingering spirits, they won't be angry about getting some attention. This church is pretty forgotten.

But my boyfriend thinks it's terribly disrespectful and that spirits may become attached to the photos.

What do you think about photographing graveyards?