Concord in Vaughan in York Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
Photographed by Tim Boyd, March 9, 2026
1. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Marker
Inscription.
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church. . In December, 1806, a group of German settlers from Berlin, Pennsylvania, led by Jacob and Michael Keffer, arrived in Vaughan Township, where they formed one of Upper Canadas earliest Lutheran congregations. Their first services were conducted by the Keffers, who served as lay readers, and by pastors from the nearby German settlement in Markham Township. While the parish records date from 1807, it was not until 1819 that the congregation commenced its first log church under the direction of the first regular pastor, the Rev Johan D. Petersen. It was replaced by the present building in 1860. The following year this was the site of the founding of the Canada Synod of the Lutheran Church.
In December, 1806, a group of German settlers from Berlin, Pennsylvania, led by Jacob and Michael Keffer, arrived in Vaughan Township, where they formed one of Upper Canadas earliest Lutheran congregations. Their first services were conducted by the Keffers, who served as lay readers, and by pastors from the nearby German settlement in Markham Township. While the parish records date from 1807, it was not until 1819 that the congregation commenced its first log church under the direction of the first regular pastor, the Rev Johan D. Petersen. It was replaced by the present building in 1860. The following year this was the site of the founding of the Canada Synod of the Lutheran Church.
Erected by Ontario Archaeological and Historic Sites Board.
Location. 43° 49.554′ N, 79° 30.328′ W. Marker is in Vaughan, Ontario, in York Region. It is in Concord. It is on Keele Street 0.8 kilometers north of Langstaff Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8795 Keele Street, Vaughan ON L4K 2N2, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Toronto, specifically on the Golden Horseshoe, in the York, Durham and Headwaters Area, and in the Toronto Metropolitan Area. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Ruperts Land.
3. The current Zion Lutheran Church (1860) in 2026
Credits. This page was last revised on March 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 11, 2026, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 14 times since then. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on March 11, 2026, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
