Highfield Presbyterian Church 1900-1959

The Highfield Presbyterian Church was located on the 414 Lower Malpeque Road in West Royalty. The church was demolished in 1959.

The following excerpt from, The Charlottetown Guardian" Friday, Oct. 30, 1959, Pg 11 Island Presbytery is third in donations to new school - The Presbytery of Prince Edward Island at its meeting Tuesday was advised that it stands third in all Canada in percentage of allocations raised for the new deaconess training school in Toronto, and first of the eighth Presbyteries and the Synod of the Maritime Provinces of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. This information was given out by the Rev. E. H. Bean, Convener of Presbytery, committee for the Deaconess Building Fund… Elders were also in attendance as follows, Percy McPherson, D.J. Riley, L.A. MacKinnon, J.S. Stavert, Elmer MacDonald, Daniel MacNevin, M.J. Frasier, George Johnston, W.E. Forbes, Harry Patterson, Truman Paynter. Correspondence included request for nomination of a dean for the deaconess training school, of a secretary for the stewardship and budget committee and succession of Dr. Neil Miller, who passed away this summer, and notification that the memorial tablet to the late Rev. Daniel McLean, which had been in the Highfield Church is now, by order of Presbytery, in the Churchill Church with an added description of his original location... Reporting on property, the clerk, Rev. T.H.B. Somers, announced that L.A. MacKinnon had now completed the demolition of the Highfield Church as instructed to do so by the Presbytery some months ago. Application is to be made to the churches board of trustees in Toronto for permission for the Highfield Cemetery trustees to use the land surrounding the church site for burial purposes, as it immediately adjoins the Highfield Cemetery.

Captain Ellis Kennedy House, Summerside - DEMOLISHED

Greg Moase on Facebook posted yesterday that the Captain Ellis Kennedy House at 21 Water Street in Summerside was demolished yesterday. Here's photos and information from historicplaces.ca about the house.

Description of Historic Place This one-and-one-half storey former sea captain's house is located on the north side of Water Street. It originally was a Centre Gable style house with Gothic Revival elements and details including a steeply pitched gable roof with black asphalt shingles. Rectangular sections extend to the north of the main part of the house. It is painted white and has finials at each gable end and dormer. It is located close to the highway immediately to the east of an automobile dealership. Heritage Value The attractive residence at 21 Water Street was built for sea captain Alexander Ellis Kennedy. It has historical significance as his home, as well as the former residence of other prominent citizens including W.B. Bowness and R.B. Rankin. It contributes to the streetscape of this area serving as a vivid reminder of the existence of a mid 19th century rural and sea-connected community. Today, the house is juxtaposed with a modern automobile dealership immediately to the east. Ellis Kennedy was the son of Alexander Kennedy, also a mariner, and Esther Darby, both of St. Eleanor's. They had married in 1818 and had six children before 1833. The house was likely constructed about the time of Ellis' marriage to Mary Jane Schurman in 1865, a union that resulted in ten children over a period of twenty years. The household included his parents Alexander and Esther, who died in 1878 and 1888 respectively, the latter at age 95. Captain A.E. Kennedy had a long career as a master mariner, engaging in coastal shipping to and from the port of Summerside. He owned at least seven schooners between 1856 and 1895, including the Dasher, the Fury, and the Great Deceiver. After the death of his wife in 1900, he sold the property and went to live with five of his children in Sydney, Nova Scotia, where he died in 1915. The house and acreage was then purchased by John McKay, a farmer in New Annan, who owned it for 21 days before selling it for a profit of $50 to William Bell Bowness. Mr. Bowness had developed a carriage making business on his farm in New Annan in the 1880s, having learned the trade from his uncle, James Tuplin. When he purchased the Ellis Kennedy homestead, he moved his family into the house and transferred his business to the new location. His first wife, Jane Sutherland (m. 1858) died in 1915 and he remarried Henrianne McCaull, the widow of John Arbing. The property sold at a mortgage sale auction in August 1920 to the highest bidder, local farmer, Arthur W. McEwen. Several days later, he resold it to R.B. Rankin of Alberton. Robert Bowness Rankin was born in Cascumpec in 1877 and as a young man moved to Perth Amboy, New Jersey with his parents James and Rebecca. His mother was a sister of William Bowness, thus Robert bought the home of his uncle. He returned from the United States and married Cecelia May Hudson of Cascumpec in 1902. The couple lived in Alberton before moving to Summerside with their six children. Mr. Rankin was a carpenter by trade and specialized in the construction of bridges and wharves. He was also known in the silver fox industry and operated a ranch for many years on the northern portion of the property. Two of the Rankin children lived for many years at 21 Water Street with their parents. Brenton (b. 1919) moved back into the house in 1943 after a medical discharge from the Canadian Army. Beatrice (b. 1915) was a registered nurse and served overseas during the Second World War. Upon her return to Canada in 1946, she worked for ten years at the Queen Mary Veterans' Hospital in Montreal before returning to Summerside. Mr. and Mrs. R.B. Rankin died in 1963 and 1969 respectively. Bea, as she was known in the family, continued to work until her retirement from the nursing staff of the Prince County Hospital in 1979. Brenton died in 1979 and Beatrice in 1994. In 1975, the property had been purchased by their nephew, George Rankin Schurman, who wanted to retain the home of his grandparents. For several years after 1995, the house was used as the Summerside office of his company, Canada First Real Estate. Source: City of Summerside, Heritage Property Profiles Character-Defining Elements The heritage value of the house is shown in the following character-defining elements: - the one-and-one-half storey massing - the wood frame and wood shingle cladding - the steeply pitched gable roof - the brick chimneys - the decorative gingerbread at the peak of the gables and decorative finials on the roof - the rectangular Ell extending north of the main house that is believed to be part of the original house (servants' quarters) - the bay windows with bracketted eaves - the rectangular windows with hood moulding - the round arch windows of the dormers - the double door narrow vestibule with windows on each side

Lower Freetown Presbyterian Church

We drove by the old Lower Freetown Presbyterian Church a week ago and commented, "it's still there." The building has been in very poor condition for years - hopes of it being restored and repurposed were never achieved. The church was located on Rte-8 close to Rte-109. It was built in 1890 - a Mr. Jesse Burns donated the wood to build the frame, and with donated labour the total cost of construction was about $950. IT WAS DEMOLISHED IN LATE MAY 2022.

Brookfield House demolished

This large 2-1/2 storey house was demolished this week. It was located at the corner of Rte-2 and the Darlington Road at Brookfield intersection. This is in Lot-23.

Meacham's 1880 Atlas of PEI shows Arch'd Carter owning this property with 43-acres and a Forge. The Cummin's 1928 Atlas of PEI shows T. Wood owning this property with 45 acres. Image Credit: Google Streetview.

Sherwood Cottage, Founds Mills

I was out by Founds Mills this morning and took this photo of the old "Sherwood Cottage." It was owned by Peter MacNutt of Darnley, Lot 18. More than 30 years ago contractor Phillip Gallant moved it to Founds Mills and restored it. He saved it!

Below is the image of "Sherwood Cottage" from Page 145 of Meachams 1880 Atlas of PEI. It notes Mr. MacNutt being a Merchant and Farmer who settled on this property in 1834 with over 250 acres. The house was located on the north side Route 6 west of the old Darnley School.

E.B. Love Tenement, St. Peter's Rd., Charlottetown

I took this photo today of the E.B. Love Tenement House at 37-39 St. Peters Road. The building was built in 1886 and is directly across the street from Murphy's Parkdale Pharmacy. Love and Son commissioned local architects Phillips and Chappell to design this double tenement. The Love family operated a tannery on the corner of Queen and Kent Streets. There was an earlier house on this property called St. Avard, owned by James C. Pope.

For more information refer to the Historic Places website... https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=3769

Route-12, Ellerslie, Porthill, Birch Hill, Grand River

On Sunday we took a drive along Route-12 and took photos of historic churches. The first is St. John's Anglican Church, consecrated on July 1, 1900. The incredible detailing on this church was done by "Little" Harry Williams.

Then we went by the Old St. James Anglican Church, consecrated in 1843. In 1885 a "New" St. James Anglican church was built across the road where the in 1885. Beside the new St. James church is the Rectory - this style of house is known in western PEI as a "Fox House."

As we carried on Route-12 we came to Birch Hill where there's another set of churches across the road from each other. On the left is the 1858 Lot 14 Presbyterian Church and on the right is the 1925 Lot 14 United Church. We were surprised to see the old Presbyterian church still there, as it was suppose to have been demolished last February 2021.

The last stop on our Route-12 church tour was at Immaculate Conception St. Patrick's Parish Church, Grand River. This church was built in 1839. In 1890 well known Island Architect William Harris was hired to architecturally enhanced and embellish the church.

St. Joachim Parochial House, Vernon River

On Sept. 15, 2020 Dutch Thompson posted on Facebook that St. Joachim’s Parish Rectory was demolished the day before. The Rectory was built in 1868 from local brick, same as the church. Here's a photo I took of the church and house to the far right on June 11, 2010. Also here's an image of the church and rectory from Meachams 1880 Atlas of PEI. The last photo is from Dutch's Facebook post of the demolished recotry.

Irving House, Vernon

I took the first photo of this house in February 2007, and the following two photos were taken last April 2021. It's looking a bit worse for the wear.

This house is located on the Millview Road. / The 1880's Meacham's PEI Atlas shows the owner of this house as David Irving with 70 acres. Waldron Leard's cemetery book on famous Islanders, notes the following. / Irving, David Purdy 1841-1922. Teacher/ Farmers/Member of the PEI Legislative Assembly. / The 1928 Cumins PEI Atlas shows David's son, James Cephas Irving with 152 acres. EX-MP, S. Foxes, Wife Eva. ------ I also did a search of the Prince Edward Island Legislature and found the following information. [ https://www.assembly.pe.ca/members-1873-1993 ] "IRVING, DAVID PURDY," farmer; b. 6 April 1841 in Cherry Valley, son of James Irving and Anne MacKenzie; m. 11 September 1867 Anne Tweedy, and they had 12 children, Sarah A., James Cephas*, Margaret, Thomas, Elizabeth, George, Anne, Alexander, John, William, Pansey, and Edith; Presbyterian; d. 1922. Irving, a Liberal, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1900 for 4th Queens. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1904 and 1908. Irving was defeated in a by-election held in 1900. Irving was educated at Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown, where he received a teachers' diploma. David Irving died in 1922. Anne Irving was born in 1849 and died in 1917. James Cephas Irving* served in the Legislative Assembly, and another child, Anne, married Edmund T. Higgs*, also a politician. References CPG 1910; Islander 13 September 1867; PARO: MNI-Census 1881, 1891. /// "IRVING, JAMES CEPHAS," farmer; b. 9 May 1870, son of David Purdy Irving* and Anne Tweedy; m. 2 September 1898 Eva Nicholson of Eldon, and there were no children; Presbyterian; d. 14 October 1939. Irving, a Liberal, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1919 for 4th Queens. He was re-elected in the general election of 1923. Irving's father had served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for 4th Queens. James Irving died 14 October 1939. Eva Irving was born 5 December 1869 and died 8 January 1940. Irving's sister Anne was married to Edmund Higgs*, who served in the Legislative Assembly. References CPG 1903, 1921, 1924; Patriot 18 October 1939; PARO: United Church of Pown.il Book 1 p. 55; MNI-Census 1891; Census 1901.

Doucet Log House, oldest house on PEI

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the building of the Doucet House by Jean and Marguerite Doucet. A dendrochronology study carried out on the logs determined the wood was cut in the spring of 1772. As a result of the Acadian Deportation of 1758 Jean and Marguerite left PEI, and returned to Rustico with their family in 1771. The Doucet House was located at Grand Pere Point in Cymbria and was going to be torn down in 1999. However, it was offered to the Friends of the Farmers Bank of Rustico who moved it to their National Historic Site and restored it in 2003. When the museum in open in the summer months you can visit the site and learn more about the Doucet House - the oldest house on Prince Edward Island. www.farmersbank.ca