We have alot of church architecture related stories in our local news and media and on this blog. Here's another - a recent article in the West Prince Graphic, October 31, 2012 issue. Page 13. http://peicanada.com/content/west_prince_graphic
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O'Leary Church of the Nazarene - moved in 1938
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New Casavant Organ at St. Dunstan's Basilica, Charlottetown
Here's a recent article on the CBC PEI website: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2012/11/09/pei-new-organ-basilica-dunstans-584.html
![Organ pipes lying in the pews at St. Dunstan's in Charlottetown, waiting to be installed.]()
Organ pipes lying in the pews at St. Dunstan's in Charlottetown, waiting to be installed. (Maggie Brown/CBC)
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New basilica organ to debut Christmas Eve
Organ pipes lying in the pews at St. Dunstan's in Charlottetown, waiting to be installed. (Maggie Brown/CBC)An 89-year-old pipe organ from a decommissioned church in Montreal is being installed at Charlottetown’s St. Dunstan's Basilica.
Robert Hiller works on cleaning the pipes.Workers are busy cleaning the giant pipes that will soon be put in place in the choir loft at St. Dunstan's Basilica. Thousands of pieces that will become the new-to-P.E.I. organ are lying in the pews. It’s been a bit crowded during services, said Father Floyd Gallant, but he knows it will all be worth it.
“Since April we haven't had access to an organ. We've been using a small Clavinova piano,” said Gallant.
“But that has served us, and we're kind of fasting before the feast.”
The choir loft at St. Dunstan's will soon house the new organ.Robert Hiller and his crew from Casavant organs will spend the next few weeks piecing the organ together. Hiller said the church in Montreal was very similar to St. Dunstan's, and it fits well into the Charlottetown church.
“Very similar acoustic,” said Hiller.
“Actually I think acoustic is better here which is always good for us. The more reverberation the better the organ will sound.”
The purchase of the organ was made possible by a donation from the late Owen Kelly, the organist at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Summerside.
It will get its public debut at midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Gallant has already chosen the first tune: O Come All Ye Faithful.
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Panmure Head Lighthouse, group rallies to save
The local CBC PEI radio news had this story on this morning: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2012/11/18/pei-group-to-save-panmure.html
Group rallies to save Panmure Head lighthouse
The group has started a website to protect the lighthouse. (Lighthousefriends.com)
A community group is rallying to save P.E.I.'s oldest wooden lighthouse.
Panmure Head lighthouse was built in 1853 and is in serious need of repair. It has chipped paint and a decayed railing.
It's one of 40 island lighthouses the federal government decommissioned this summer. While it is no longer being maintained, it remains popular with visitors, and locals are raising money to buy it.
Margaret MacLeod lives in its shadow on the eastern shore. "I was born here, grew up here, decided to settle here. It's a part of the furniture here in P.E.I.," she said.
So MacLeod and a group of locals are raising money to take over the lighthouse.
Saving it for the future
Glenna Campbell-Peardon, president of the Panmure Island Lighthouse Association, said the group needs plenty of help.
"We just want to maintain it for the future. We want to have it looking good and there's asbestos inside, so we have to have that removed. We've got all sorts of work to do," she said.
Fisherman Bill Peardon said he looks for the lighthouse every time he's headed home.
"It's still very nice to turn the boat and see the Panmure light," he said.
He would like to see it preserved, he added.
The lighthouse was originally built after locals petitioned for it, and the new group is hoping to save it with the same community activism.
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Pridham House, Montrose - destroyed
The old Ken & Lois Pridham House, located on Rte. 152 in Montrose, was destroyed by fire on Sunday evening past, Nov. 18th - a control burn by the local fire departments. The house had been abandoned for many, many years and in poor condition.
Here are a few photos I took on June 28, 2012.
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Above/Below: The house sat atop a south facing hill with a distant view of the beautiful Montrose River. This view faces west and Rte. 152.
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The house dates approximately back to the 1870-80's and features a steep gabled dormer on the front with two square bay windows below. There was a kitchen wing to the rear.
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Here are a few photos I took on June 28, 2012.
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Summers Street, Summerside
Recently I was up to visit a client on Summer Street in Summerside, on that lovely fall day I decided to photograph the wonderful homes and buildings on the street for this blog.
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1886 City Hall - http://www.city.summerside.pe.ca/
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=2753&pid=13297&h=Summer,Street,Summerside
Holman Homestead & Gardens: Fox Museum -
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=16273
1860 St. Mary's Anglican Church -
http://www.stmarystjohnanglicanchurchsummerside.com/#!history-of-our-churches
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=11073&pid=8358&h=Summer,Street,Summerside
1907 Hinton House -
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=11089
1896 Sharp House -
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=11124&pid=0
1898 Dr. James MacLellan House -
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=10060&pid=7375&h=Summer,Street,Summerside
Designed by well-known PEI Architect Wm. C. Harris
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=10060&pid=7375&h=Summer,Street,Summerside
Designed by well-known PEI Architect Wm. C. Harris
Below: Rear view of above 2 houses - note City Hall in the Distance.
Below: Former family home of P.E.I. Premier & Canadian Senator Thane Campbell. Thane Campbell's son Alex became Premier of PEI in the mid 1960's and later Court Justice; also another on, Mel Campbell, was Mayor of Summerside in the 1980s.
1891 Fanning House -
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=2754&pid=0
1910 Tanton House -
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=12421&pid=9468&h=112,Summer,Street%20(4)
St. Mary's Convent (Catholic) Corner of Summer & Convent Streets.
Interesting, "funky" (as they'd say in the 1960's) design - entry like a nun's hat.
Parkside Elementary School -
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=1235&pid=9414&h=Summer,Street,Summerside
Former home of well-known Summerside and PEI Historian Faye Pound
Note the detail on the window under the verandah.
1876 Thomas Crabbe House -
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=10104&pid=7419&h=Summer,Street,Summerside
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Kensington this Christmas
This modest early twentieth-century farmhouse is located on Route 2 in Kensington and decorated for the holidays.
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The house features a front/west facade of an angled bay window and square bay for the entry door along with a south facing side verandah to the right.
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Below: the gable features a small single-hung, round-top window; eave trimming and banding;along with decorative-cut cedar shingles. The house displays very nice detailing through-out.
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Below: St. Mark's Anglican Church on Victoria Street East.
In 1885 construction was underway for this the second/ present St. Mark’s Anglican Church– replacing the first St. Mark’s, built in 1860. The new church was built at a cost of $1,375.00. It was first used for worship on August 29, 1887 and consecrated on June 9, 1888 by the Rt. Rev. Frederick Courtney. The Church of England was the first denomination to build in Kensington.
St. Mark’s Church is believed to be the only surviving example of a William Harris designed board-and-batten church in P.E.I. and one of three remaining board-and-batten Gothic revival style churches in the Maritime Provinces. It narrowly escaped destruction on July 20, 1979 when a blow torch ignited insulation material when church repairs were underway – there was extensive damage to the steeple and smoke damage throughout the church – regular services resumed in the church later that fall.
cf. A History of the Pastoral Unit of New London and Springfield, Pg. 265
Below: cf. http://islandstories.ca/island_stories_viewer/cap:1081/Kensington
Below: Looking west down Victoria Street. Note the Presbyterian Church on the left.
Below: sketch by well-known Prince Edward Island / Canadian artist Robert Harris and brother of architect Wm. C. Harris.
Below: Kensington Presbyterian Church. Victoria Street East.
Below: Front facade - north facing.
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Christmas 1973 Thompson House, Sherbrooke
The following is the cover of the Prince Edward Island "Senior's Scene" December 1992: Heritage '92 magazine.
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Below: I would say the house was built in two different times as for the unusual combination of architectural styles. The above and below photo is of the west side. For some reason I don't have the south elevation which has the main entry. The right side of the house would have been the later addition - possibly turn of the twentieth-century.
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Below: a photo page of the Burns-Thomson family from, "The Jeffery Family of the Isle of Wight and Prince Edward Island" by Betty Jeffery and Carter Jeffery, 1998.
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"The photo on the cover of this issue is a reflection of the whole concept of Heritage '92. The photo is of Mrs. John Thomson's home in Sherbrooke, Prince Edward Island taken on the eve of the Centennial of the province joining Canada in 1873. The home is one hundred and twenty-five years old and depicts the actual life style of Mrs. Thomson. Heritage '92 is a project that was conceived by Wendell Ellis of Studio Ten, Island Cablevision, Ltd's. Community Channel, to preserve the living heritage of our Island seniors..." cf. Page 1 Dec/92 issue.
The above parlour photo was taken in the house of Lulu Thomson which was originally the home of Archibald and Abigail (Jeffery) Burns in Sherbrooke, Prince Edward Island - they died in 1901 and 1913.
The following area photos I took of the abandoned House in May 2000.
Below: the north/rear side of the house.
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Mount Herbert Protestant Orphanage
This old, long since demolished, building was in the news this week in a sad story about abuse during its days as the Mount Herbert Protestant Orphanage. I decided to make a link to this story and show the building referred to. The orphanage was established in 1907 and in 1922 moved to this new impressive brick structure on a large treed lots in the rural community of Mount Herbert, east of Stratford, near the Hillsborough River.
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2012-12-14/article-3140311/Residents-of-PEI-orphanage-share-486400-settlement/1
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The orphanage closed in 1975 and demolished in 1998 to make way for a new Provincial Addictions Treatment Centre.
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2012-12-14/article-3140311/Residents-of-PEI-orphanage-share-486400-settlement/1
The Orphanage was designed and built in 1920-21 by well-known Charlottetown Architect Edward Stirling (Bone) Blanchard (1886-1953). See website for more information about him: http://www.gov.pe.ca/hpo/index.php3?number=1028089&lang=E
Below is an early image of the orphanage - both images here cf. the Guardian Newspaper article..jpg)
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3 Ole King Square, Charlottetown
I lived at 3 Ole King Square for 5 years in the late 1980's. This old 3-storey, flat roof house was divided in to six apartments sometime in the mid-twentieth century. My apartment was on main floor, on the corner of Old King Square and Hillsborough Street.
I have never known, or could ever find out, who owned this large old house.
Here are a few photos of my photos of 3 Ole King Square taken in December 1988.
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Below: the Parlour had impressive woodwork, trim and panel windows.
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Below: The Parlour had a marble, coal-burning fireplace.
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Below: The Kitchen cabinetry was built around the large cast iron sink
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Above: Panoramic View of Charlottetown, 1878.
cf. http://www.gov.pe.ca/hpo/app.php?nav=details&p=2974
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Above: 3 Ole King Squre is on the far left. cf. 1880 Meachams Atlas.
cf. http://www.gov.pe.ca/hpo/IMG/ORIGINAL/19f7aa3dBeerSonsKingSquare.jpg
Here are a few other houses on Ole King Square.
![19 Ole King Square]()
Above: 19 Ole King Square
cf. http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=5228&pid=15566&h=Ole,King,Square%20(5)
![21 Ole King Square]()
Above: 21 Ole King Square
cf. http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/image-image.aspx?id=5229#i2
![27 Ole King Square]()
Above: 27 Ole King Square
cf. http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=5230&pid=15568&h=Ole,King,Square%20(5)
I have never known, or could ever find out, who owned this large old house.
Here are a few photos of my photos of 3 Ole King Square taken in December 1988.
Below: the front of 3 Ole King Square, facing south onto King Square Park.
According to the City of Charlottetown's website and their page about this house - it's listed as being built prior to 1878 as it appears in this 1878 Panoramic view below. See: http://www.city.charlottetown.pe.ca/searchaproperty.php?propid=1970
Above: Panoramic View of Charlottetown, 1878.
cf. http://www.gov.pe.ca/hpo/app.php?nav=details&p=2974
Above: 3 Ole King Squre is on the far left. cf. 1880 Meachams Atlas.
cf. http://www.gov.pe.ca/hpo/IMG/ORIGINAL/19f7aa3dBeerSonsKingSquare.jpg
Here are a few other houses on Ole King Square.
Above: 19 Ole King Square
cf. http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=5228&pid=15566&h=Ole,King,Square%20(5)
Above: 21 Ole King Square
cf. http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/image-image.aspx?id=5229#i2
Above: 27 Ole King Square
cf. http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=5230&pid=15568&h=Ole,King,Square%20(5)
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Cast Iron Sinks, Doors, Reproduction Furniture, etc.
I get asked all the time where can a person find old doors, sinks, etc. for home restoration projects. My brother Kerras is a multi-talented individual in that he's a folk artist; furniture builder and collector of antiques, etc.!
At any given time he has about 300 old doors for sale; cast iron sinks and tubs along with alot of antiques. Be sure to visit his website: www.birchgate.ca/kerras; http://www.birchgate.ca/kerras/antiques.html
Below is a project where one of his cast iron sinks and doors were incorporated into a house renovation.
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At any given time he has about 300 old doors for sale; cast iron sinks and tubs along with alot of antiques. Be sure to visit his website: www.birchgate.ca/kerras; http://www.birchgate.ca/kerras/antiques.html
Below is a project where one of his cast iron sinks and doors were incorporated into a house renovation.
Below: Here are some of his doors. I never knew there could be so many styles of doors until I saw them in this collection.
Below: Kerras' collection of cast iron sinks.
Kerras also builds reproduction furniture such as those shown here below.
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Another Farmhouse lost to Fire
Last week there was another fire which consumed a rural farmhouse - the following is the article in the Guardian Newspaper. Every year a few of these old houses burn for one reason or another.
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Canavoy fire
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Former Steadman's building in O'Leary demolished
Another old building was demolished in O'Leary in mid December. In recent years this old abandoned store has become an eye sore and was recently ordered demolished by Village Council.
The following is from the Journal-Pioneer newspaper on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012.
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The following is from the Journal-Pioneer newspaper on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012.
cf. http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/viewer.aspx
Equipment claws away at the former Stedman's building in O'Leary Tuesday. Reacting to safety concerns expressed about the structure, O'Leary Council issued an order in October for the building to be repaired of town down.
FORMER STEDMAN'S BUILDING IN O'LEARY DEMOLISHED
by Eric McCarthy/ Journal Pioneer
O'LEARY - Demolition equipment made quick work Tuesday of a vacant building in the heart of O'Leary's business core.
The former Stedman's department store building, which measured 80 feet by 80 feet and over 60 feet high at the peak, had most recently operated as a liquidation centre. It had gradually been stripped of its roof shingles and siding in recent months and was no longer in operation.
Its condition had prompted neighbouring businesses to raise safety concerns with the community council.
Council issued a letter to the property's owner on Oct. 22, ordering that the building be fixed or torn down within 30 days.
Equipment moved onto the lot Monday and went to work Tuesday. Loads of debris were trucked to the former O'Leary dump property for subsequent disposal. The Main Street property had been a scene of retail activity in O'Leary since early in the 1900s.
Florence Turner, a longtime O'Leary resident, said Bill Kennedy operated a store there as early as 1913 or 1914. It subsequently burned and Hal Jelley opened a large store there to sell furniture and other merchandise. When that burned,, Jelley built another store on the property and sold half of it to Denziel MacNeill in 1963.
MacNeill acquire the rest of the building the following year and operated a clothing and general merchandise store for many years.
It went through three more owners since then. A doctor's office occupied part of the property for about two decades. There was also a pharmacy in the building a few years ago.
O'Leary Community Council chairman Stanley MacDonald expressed optimism that the owner will see fit to develop commercial space on the prime piece of real estate.
Charlottetown developer and one of the owners of the building, Cliff McQuaid, said he has no plans for the property. He siad there were plans when they purchased it, and that was to relocate the O'Leary Liquor Store to the site, but those plans fell through.
Equipment claws away at the rear of the former Stedman’s building in O’Leary Tuesday. Eric McCarthy/Journal Pioneer
cf. http://www.journalpioneer.com/News/Local/2012-12-18/article-3142875/Business-building-demolished/1
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Lecture Series kicks off on January 7
Winter Lecture Series 2013
Saltwater Heritage: The History and Conservation of our Coastal Architecture to be presented at Beaconsfield
cf. http://iascpei.wordpress.com/
You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. Never is that more true than when speaking about the coastal architecture of Prince Edward Island. Our coast and the sea, and the structures built along them define us. It is by this shifting margin of land and water that we have lived, worked, traded, built, and played for generations – yet, over the years, we have continued to lose this early architectural heritage, which includes factories, stores, ship-building yards, homes and cottages. Often this loss occurs through erosion, indifference, and a limited understanding of progress. While some loss is unavoidable, valuable traces can still be retrieved through records, research and photographs, and the safeguarding of remaining architectural structures. All this is possible providing we look out again – to the shoreline. Here, unique architectural structures and landscapes speak to Island stories of transportation and safe returns, of community life, as well as of industries of today and of earlier Islanders.
To celebrate and conserve our coastal heritage, the Institute for Architectural Studies and Conservation, in association with Beaconsfield Historic House, invites you to join them for the annual January lecture series, themed for 2013, Saltwater Heritage: The History and Conservation of Our Coastal Architecture. The Institute has assembled a group of specialists to explore stories of our connections with Island shores. Beginning January 7, 2013, the series will be launched with Harry Holman’s Weeping Saltwater Tears: Charlottetown’s Disappearing Maritime Heritage. The Director of Culture, Heritage and Libraries, sailor and former Provincial Archivist, will draw on his extensive knowledge of the local waters and present an illustrated lecture using historical and contemporary images to reveal the changes to waterfront and maritime architecture and institutions.
On January 14, Carol Livingstone, President, PEI Lighthouse Society and Josh Silver, Red Seal Carpenter and Learning Manager, Heritage Retrofit Carpentry Program, Holland College, will present Lighting the Way: History, Form and Function in Lighthouse Conservation of PEI. Together, they will explore these iconic forms of coastal architecture and the close relationships between their architectural features and their varied designs.
Parks Canada Historian, Dr. Monica MacDonald, will visit us from Halifax, January 21, to speak about one of the most stately seaside summer residences of PEI, and national historic site, in her illustrated presentation, Dalvay-by-the-Sea: A Historical Overview. She will look into the many lives of this former retreat of American industrialist, Alexander McDonald.
Completing the series on January 28, Boyde Beck, popular historian, author, and Curator of History, PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation, tells the fascinating story of Green Park and Beaconsfield, the former houses of shipbuilders, James Yeo (Jr.), and James Peake (Jr.), and the industry that made them in his talk, Green Park and Beaconsfield — Two Shipbuilding Stories.
Saltwater Heritage: The History and Conservation of Our Coastal Architecture, runs on Mondays in January 2013 (7, 14, 21 and 28) from 7 pm, atBeaconsfield’s Carriage House. Admission is open to the public by donation. Storm dates to be announced via local media.
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Gregor's-By-The-Sea, Brackley Beach
My brother Kerras came across this postcard of Gregor's Hotel a while ago - it's amazing to think not one of these buildings (some were moved) remain as you see them here - information below will explain that it was bought by the Government of Canada /Parks Canada and the site completely cleared.
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The postcard measures 9"x6".
I found the information below on the Prince Edward Island Public Archives and Record Office along with this photo.
cf. http://www.gov.pe.ca/archives/onlineexhibits/display.php3?ipn=5&cat=6
PEI PARO Acc. 3038
Gregor's Hotel, Brackley, circa 1920s
Ewen Houston ran a boarding house from about 1891 under the name of Seaside Hotel. During the early 1900s, the Gregor (Charles & Walter) family took over, and in 1914 expanded to 25 rooms and renamed it Gregor's-by-the-Sea. The hotel was known for its warm hospitality and farm fresh cuisine. It was operated by the Gregor family until 1953, and for the twenty years by Jack and Lorna Cameron (Moore). In 1957 the Hotel advertised a 22-room hotel and cottages, a private nine-hole golf course and driving range, ponies, dining room and close access to fishing and tennis courts. Rates were $6.50 to $10.00 per person per day. Parks Canada eventually acquired the property and in the 1970s the hotel was leveled.
Also there is information about Gregor's Hotel on the IslandLives project website - see http://www.islandlives.ca/fedora/repository/ilives%3A267924-00035-p_0021/TEI/TEI%20Page%20Fragment
Here are a few facts about the Gregor Hotel from the article: The National Park was established in 1937; in 1973 the Federal Government bought the property - the Gregor home was moved and the hotel furnishings auctioned off - the other buildings were either moved or demolished; another property purchased by the Government in 1982 was the Lodge operated by Sadie, Elaine & Willard MacCallum - here too was an auction and the buildings demolished.
Also there is information about Gregor's Hotel on the IslandLives project website - see http://www.islandlives.ca/fedora/repository/ilives%3A267924-00035-p_0021/TEI/TEI%20Page%20Fragment
Here are a few facts about the Gregor Hotel from the article: The National Park was established in 1937; in 1973 the Federal Government bought the property - the Gregor home was moved and the hotel furnishings auctioned off - the other buildings were either moved or demolished; another property purchased by the Government in 1982 was the Lodge operated by Sadie, Elaine & Willard MacCallum - here too was an auction and the buildings demolished.
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PEI Tourism Promotes Rural Landscapes
I find it amusing that our idyllic country views are used in tourism promotions and literature but when it comes to saving and preserving those views and buildings there's little help. The view on this map today would be a hilly road with trees - the church was moved and the steeple removed.
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Here are a few photos I took of this beautiful little church at the corner of the New Glasgow Road and the Bungay Road in Wheatley River before it was decommissioned and moved in the mid-2000s.
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![Victoria United Church]()
The beautiful Wheatley River United Church before removal from the site.
+of+IMG_0100.jpg)
The church had beautiful detailing especially the round windows in the tower.
+of+IMG_0101.jpg)
The church was decomissioned around 2004 and sold to the neighbour on the other corner and moved a few hundred feet to the other side of the neighbours hedge. At the time the PEI United Church Council required that any decommissioned United Church be sold or demolished. If sold the steeple had to be removed so it wouldn't be confused as being a church building. At the time I was acting Chairman of the PEI Heritage Places Advisory Board and had a letter sent to the PEI United Church Council asking they reconsider this policy - our request was dismissed. It was a bad decision for Island architecture.
Below/Above: The vacant site where the church once stood.
Below Photos: the relocated church without its steeple.
A few who purchased decommisioned churches didn't follow through with this steeple removal policy, such as the Victoria-by-the-Sea United Church, now in private hands. I assume the PEI United Church Council decided not to enforce its' policy.
Above: former Victoria United Church
cf. http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/image-image.aspx?id=5682#i1
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Vriends Poultry Farm, West Covehead
Another book I have in my possession is a text book about Prince Edward Island, published in 1978. On the cover is the Vriends Poultry Farm in West Covehead, located on the corner of Cass' Road and Rte.25/ Rte.6. The farm was closed a few years ago and today the property is mostly for sale as cottage lots in Auld's Point Bay View Properties - http://remaxharbourside.ca/property/detail/519370.
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See Google Maps for a street view of this farmstead -
https://maps.google.ca/?ll=46.393595,-63.122249&spn=0.005883,0.016512&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=46.393161,-63.122605&panoid=uosR6yJorrDaosms-kqaTQ&cbp=12,55.38,,0,0
Above: Vriends Poultry Farm. In the distance is Covehead Bay and Auld Creek to the upper right. You can see cottages there between the farm and the bay. Today this area is a subdivision with lots for sale.
https://maps.google.ca/?ll=46.393595,-63.122249&spn=0.005883,0.016512&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=46.393161,-63.122605&panoid=uosR6yJorrDaosms-kqaTQ&cbp=12,55.38,,0,0
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Former Borden Catholic Church becomes artists home
The following article appeared in the Journal-Pioneer newspaper on January 11, 2013 - http://www.journalpioneer.com/News/Local/2003-01-11/article-3155178/Building-a-home%2C-one-painting-at-a-time/1
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Building a Home, one painting at a time
The former Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Borden-Carleton was purchased three years ago by Oliver and Christie Ray, formerly of British Columbia. The Ray’s are in the midst of renovating the church into a home. Photo by Colin MacLean/ Journal Pioneer
On the Ray family living room wall there hangs a painting of a young pregnant woman cradling a man’s head to her chest. Oliver Ray painted that image after a frustrating afternoon of staring at a blank canvas, wondering if he really had what it takes to make it as an artist.
The woman is Christie Ray, who was pregnant with the couple’s first child at the time.
They’ve come a long way since Oliver broke down and created that image.
Their family has expanded to include two young children, Caitlin, and Dylan.
They’ve fulfilled their dream of settling on Prince Edward Island. And Oliver now paints full-time, with Christie handling the business side of the art.
They’ve even caused something of a stir in their adopted community Borden-Carleton — though the reason why doesn’t have much to do with Oliver’s paintings.
A little church on an island
The Rays, who are originally from B.C., first came to P.E.I. on a day trip several years ago.
Oliver was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces at the time and was stationed at an off Island base.
They immediately fell in love with the place and set about concocting a plan to settle here.
They finally took the plunge in 2010.
“It was nothing short of beautiful and spectacular. I was probably in a love haze for the first six months,” laughed Oliver.
“We still take every opportunity we can to drive and explore the island, because we’re completely in love with it,” said Christie.
But finding their dream home was more difficult than they’d expected.
“We came here with dreams and plans of buying sort of a big country house and living the Anne of Green Gables lifestyle. We envisioned a two or three story farmhouse,” he said.
They couldn’t find their dream home that was either in their price range or that didn’t need massive renovations.
Then one of them stumbled across an advertisement of an old church for sale.
It was the former Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Borden- Carleton, and had been an active place of worship about a year and a half before.
The property was unconventional, but at that point the couple was willing to think outside the box. And the church, in spite of how much work it needed, met most of their prerequisites.
“We didn’t realize how much work it would actually be. But we have a five-year plan, and the church, like Christie said, found us,” said Oliver.
They rented a property in Charlottetown in the summer of 2010 and Oliver traveled back and forth every day to work on the church.
They finally moved in about a year and half ago.
Living in a church is a funny experience, said Oliver, because so many people have a personal connection to the building.
“If you ask anyone in the area, they’ve all got some connection to this building. One way or another, they were either married here or went to a wedding here or a funeral here or something,” he said.
“We’re finding that out as we go along. Lots of people kind of peek in the windows and want to come and visit. Which we’re glad to do. “
To get an idea of what the Ray’s have done to the building, picture the main worship area of any average Christian church: arched ceilings with a cavernous main room, tall and thin windows.
Then take out all the pews until it’s just a big empty room.
Picture a box inside that room, then expand the box until it’s large enough to hold a kitchen, three bedrooms, a washroom and a living room.
That’s pretty much their home.
There’s enough room to add a second floor to the box, and they plan on eventually doing that. But right now, it’s still open space.
The outside of the building has been left largely untouched — for now.
The art
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"Man Writing" by Oliver Ray
If you’re lucky enough to get a tour of the Ray’s home, you’ll immediately notice Oliver’s paintings hanging here and there.
Or, if you’re too shy to knock on the door or give them a call, you could take a look online at www.oliverray.ca.
Either way you might notice the unique style he uses — just don’t expect a short explanation as to where it came from.
“We have a hard time defining it,” laughed Christie.
Oliver has no classic, or even formal, arts training. So he said he developed his style of painting through various influences, including: west coast First Nations traditions and Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven.
A lot of his subjects include one, or a small group, of people, usually in an intimate or quiet moment such as a lone man writing, or a couple dancing.
“Oliver is a master of taking little bits and pieces of, either from our life, or from things that we see,” said Christie.
“It’s funny being with him because you’ll see when he’s getting something like that. He’ll be completely immersed in looking at somebody drinking coffee at one side of a café. You can see it in his face that he’s so interested in how that looks,” she said.
But he wasn’t always so keen to observe people.
Oliver describes himself as a life-long introvert. And it wasn’t until he was out of his teens before he felt comfortable enough to let anyone see his drawings.
Christie encouraged him to put his work out into the public, and to eventually make a career out of it.
“When I look back at everything I’ve done, I always think that Christie and my relationship is the nucleus,” he said.
Finally home
The Ray family intends to keep working on their church — they have to finish their five-year-plan.
They are also intent on expanding their business, which they run almost entirely through their website.
Oliver still likes to sit look at that painting of himself and Christie. He even still wonders sometimes if he’s got what it takes to be an artist.
But nowadays, whenever he stares up at that image, it takes on a whole new meaning.
He sees everything he and Christie have accomplished together, and the promises of everything they’re working towards. - Colin.MacLean@journalpioneer.com
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Boulter Farmstead, Woodstock
In Meecham's 1880 Atlas of Prince Edward Island it shows Henry Boulter living on this property. In the 1928 Cummin's Atlas of Prince Edward Island still shows Henry Boulter (probably a son by the same name) owning this property. Cummin's Atlas lists the following information for each property - Owner; address; wife's name; and children's name. Here is the information for this house - Boulter, Henry; P.O. Coleman; Wf. Ann Roseina; Ch. Elvin, William, Ella, Ada, May.
Today the Boulter family still owns the property and live in an adjacent bungalow. The house was left vacant in the early 1970's when the family moved into a new bungalow- no one has lived in it since.
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The middle peak above the house is the barn in the background - it's not attached to the house. The large size and height makes it look closer than it is.
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Today the Boulter family still owns the property and live in an adjacent bungalow. The house was left vacant in the early 1970's when the family moved into a new bungalow- no one has lived in it since.
The old "Island-ell" style farmhouse is located on the east side of the Western Road in Woodstock just before the O'Leary Corner/Roundabout.
I took these photos on December 27th, 2006 - the house and barn are still there.
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This Blog's 2nd Anniversary
It was two years ago yesterday that I established this blog - and to date have 310 posts.
I'm not the most "techy" guy when it comes to computers, programs, etc., however, I've added a couple of new features to the blog to make it more viewer friendly - if you go down the side bar and find "follow by email" in this box enter your email address - you will receive an email asking for verification then anytime a new post is posted to this blog you will automatically receive it in your email's InBox.
I'm not the most "techy" guy when it comes to computers, programs, etc., however, I've added a couple of new features to the blog to make it more viewer friendly - if you go down the side bar and find "follow by email" in this box enter your email address - you will receive an email asking for verification then anytime a new post is posted to this blog you will automatically receive it in your email's InBox.
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Abandoned/Demolished House, Richmond
I photographed this old house in the late 1990's - a few years before it was demolished. It was located on the corner of the Western Road (Rte.2) and Rte. 127 in Richmond. These photos were taken in the days before I had a digital camera - these are scanned.
I don't have information of who built this house - before it was demolished it had been rented.
The 1880's Meacham's Atlas of Prince Edward Island shows Pat MacDonald living here with 80 acres of land. The railroad (today the Confederation Trail) was adjacent to the property - I took the first two photos standing on the rail bed.
The 1928 Cumins Atlas of Prince Edward Island shows Coleman and Mary Cameron living here on 78 acres.
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The main part of this house is a large L-shaped with two major gables, one south facing and the other east facing (towards Rte. 2) on the inside corner of the L is a tall steep dormer gable as seen in photo below - an unusual, unique design element. There is also a kitchen wing built out the back, westward. I would estimate this house was built in the 1890s.
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Below Photos, the northeast side of the house. Note the second floor round-top windows throughout the house.
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I don't have information of who built this house - before it was demolished it had been rented.
The 1880's Meacham's Atlas of Prince Edward Island shows Pat MacDonald living here with 80 acres of land. The railroad (today the Confederation Trail) was adjacent to the property - I took the first two photos standing on the rail bed.
The 1928 Cumins Atlas of Prince Edward Island shows Coleman and Mary Cameron living here on 78 acres.
The above/below photos show the south facing facade of the house.
Below: Gable end facing Rte. 2 Hwy.
The last tenant of this home was Shirley Anne Dugay who was murdered (not in this house) by her estranged husband Douglas Beamish in the fall of 1994. No one lived in the house after that - it was later demolished.
First time animal DNA used to solve crime -
Douglas Leo Beamish, Shirley’s estranged husband, was the primary suspect in Shirley’s disappearance. Foul play was suspected from the start but without a body, it was difficult to investigate. RCMP found a plastic bag near the body containing a leather jacket with bloodstains and two strands of white hair. The blood proved to be Shirley’s and the hair was from Snowball, a cat belonging to Beamish’s parents. Douglas Beamish was staying with his parents at the time of Shirley’s disappearance.
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