| South Buxton | |
|---|---|
| — Unincorporated community — | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Municipality | Chatham-Kent |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Forward sortation area | N?? |
| Area code(s) | 519 and 226 |
| NTS Map | 040J08 |
| GNBC Code | FCQGT |
South Buxton is an unincorporated community in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada. The population is approximately 78. The majority of the population is retirees. South Buxton has only two roads and a single church. It is near the South Buxton raceway. The closest towns are North Buxton and Merlin.
South Buxton was founded in 1850 by the Elgin Association, an organization begun by Rev. William King that was designed to negotiate with the government in order to obtain land in order to form a settlement for Rev. King's 15 freed slaves as well as any escaped slaves who could make it to Canada by means of the underground railroad. Despite resistance from nearby residents, The Elgin Association was able to purchase 9,000 acres of land which was then divided into 50 acre farms. The town grew quickly, with 400 residents after 3 years, and more than 800 residents after 7 years.[1][2]
The church, St. Andrew's, was built by escaped slaves for Rev. William King. A liberty bell cast in 1800 was used to signal the beginning of church service until the 21st century. The bell originally was rung every time a freed slave reached South Buxton. South Buxton was once larger, but as rural Ontario developed into urban Ontario the population decreased.
Christopher Paul Curtis wrote a book set in historic Buxton (in the years just before the American Civil War) called Elijah of Buxton.