Union Corner Schoolhouse Museum No. 58

Just up the road from the Union Corner United Church, on Rte. 11 is the Union Corner Schoolhouse Museum - it's close to the shore and not far from the Union Corner Provincial Park.

At the corner, the old schoolhouse has been turned into the Union Corner Schoolhouse Museum. It is said to be named Union Corner because the school was built with the goodwill of everyone.  cf. http://www.peisland.com/virtualtour6/v-tour71.htm#26.3km

See the following website for interior photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eewolff/2292267473/in/photostream/

 Below:  The double outhouse behind the school.

Union Corner United Church

     I just learned of the pending demolition of this little church and on my way home yesterday afternoon  I went by to take a photo - parishioners were just starting to gather to hold their decommissioning service.

The following article is from the Journal-Pioneer: http://www.journalpioneer.com/News/Local/2011-09-23/article-2758994/Church-holds-final-service-Sunday-/1

Church holds final service Sunday

The Union Corner United Church will be decommissioned this Sunday after more than 130 years of service. The small church's pastor says declining numbers and lack of funding has forced the congregation to amalgamate with the nearby Wellington United.

By Stephen Brun

Published on September 23, 2011

UNION CORNER - After more than 130 years, the Union Corner United Church will open its doors for the final time this weekend.
The historic church will be decommissioned on Sunday, and its small congregation will amalgamate with Wellington United Church.
Gerald Blaquiere, Union Corner's pastor for the last three years, said declining numbers over the years have made maintaining the tiny church impractical.
"Churches across the country are closing at an increasing rate, and we're just falling victim to the same challenges other churches are facing - lack of congregation, lack of funding," said Blaquiere.
"It's sort of sad in a way, but we're thinking 'Let's celebrate the life of the church as it was.' It's got a long and rich history, and it's just a cute little church."
Union Corner United has only seen between four and six regular members, and hasn't held a service, over the past three years.
The pastoral charge also includes the Wellington church and Victoria West United, meaning it will now become a two-point charge.
The Methodists completed the church at Union Corner, then called Fifteen Point, in 1878. Twenty years later, the name was changed to the Union Corner Methodist Church.
Union Corner, Wellington and Victoria West became the Wellington Pastoral Charge in 1926. 
To honour the long history, said Blaquiere, the building will be taken down rather than recommissioned for another purpose.
"We're looking for somebody who would like the lumber for the church to come and disassemble it, because we don't want the church to be used as a barn or a garage," he said. "We felt (the history) was too strong to allow something like that to happen."
The cemetery beside Union Corner United will be maintained by the Wellington congregation, which numbers about 50 regular members.
Blaquiere said the charge hopes to erect a plaque at the site after the church is taken down.
The decommissioning service will take place this Sunday at 3 p.m. at Union Corner United, or at Wellington United if the weather is inclement.
Those attending are asked to bring lawn chairs, since the service will be held outside the church.
sbrun@journalpioneer.com

Here are more photos I took on March 8th, 2013.

Cascumpec School

     I was to western PEI yesterday afternoon to a meeting in Alberton - I took Route 12 in from the Western Road and on my way took a minute to take a few photographs of this old schoolhouse.  There are 4 sets of paired 4-over-4 windows on the southwest wall and a 2-over-4 window in the attic on front.  The school closed in 1978.

    Thomas Key is on record as the first teacher of the Cascumpec School when it opened in 1862 followed by a list of 62 teachers.  On the occasion he was commended for his good work by the "School Visitor". His proficiency and success in instructing local scholars in Arithmetic, Writing, Reading & Elocution did not go unnoticed. ( c.f. http://www.islandregister.com/key1.html  )

St. Catherine's School

I was out to the rolling hills of St. Catherine's (9 miles SW of Charlottetown - there's another St. Catherines up near Souris) late yesterday afternoon - here's the old schoolhouse located on the corner of St. Catherine's Road and Stutvoet Drive.

There's been a school here since 1865 (cf. Geographical Place Names of PEI).  The building could be from this period as the roof pitch and narrow trim around the door and 6-over-6 window next to it are typical of the period.

St. John's Anglican Church, Ellerslie

    Yesterday morning my parents and I attended the morning service at St. John's Anglican Church in Ellerslie.  The church was built in 1899 by "Little Harry Williams" who studied architectural design in Massachusetts.  When my mother was young ( early 1950's ) she came to visit her cousins, the Grants, near here every summer and would attend church with them at St. John's - until yesterday she hadn't been here since.

     As we drove into the community from the Western Road I commented on the number of bull rushes in the ditches - Mom said she remembered going down to the Ellerslie store in the evenings and people would light them on fire for light - for Mom this was an unusual thing as she wasn't accustom to bull rushes - where they lived on the O'Leary Road in Knutsford there were few to no marshes or bogs near their home - this was an uncommon thing to her.

     The following comes from:  A Journey Just Begun: History of the Dicoese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island 1710-2010 by Brian Cutherbertson...
     By the 1880s the church at Bideford had become so dilapidated that a new church had become necessary. By 1893 John England had donated the site and a new church was in the course of erection. However, a Historic Churches of Prince Edward Island draws attention to the craftsmanship of Harry Williams shortage of funds slowed progress and it was not until 1899 that it was ready for consecration, which Bishop Courtney did on 2 July of that year. As already mentioned in the main text, H.M. Scott-Smith In his that is found in the complex shingle patterns on the facades and steeple, and the decorated frieze below the eves and the ornate window hoods that give the facades their depth of character. The interior is no different where the framing of the roof shows the shipbuilding ancestry of the builders, Edward England and Harry Williams. Upon its completion there were donations of communion linen, a church bell, kneeling benches, a new organ, a white spotted marble font and silver communion set with a box to hold it.

 Below:  The craftsmanship of the interior is amazing!

     Harry Williams built many homes and buildings in Prince County.  To name a few, he built the St. Peter's Anglican Church, Foxley River, Lot 11:

 I took these photos about a years ago.

     Also from A Journey Just Begun - the following information about this church...
Sometime before 1851 construction of a church was begun for which the Honourable James Warburton provided the leadership. Bishop Binney consecrated it in 1857. In 1909 the congregation decided to replace St. Peter’s with a new church. The foundation was laid the following year. Harry Williams was responsible for its construction. Although there were delays caused by shortage of funds, the new St. Peter’s was completed by 1914. Harry Williams designed the exquisitely ornamented interior. Immediately upon entering the church nave one’s gaze is drawn upward where fi ve superbly crafted ceiling arches, extending into the chancel with pews on either side capable of seating about 100 persons. The fi nely ornamented stained glass windows, however, probably provide the most outstanding beauty of the interior decor. From the vestibule to the chancel the light passing the light passing through these windows creates a sublime effect that seems to accentuate William’s skilled craftsmanship.

     There are many houses built by Harry Williams in the Tyne Valley area and further west he also built the Webb-MacDonald House in O'Leary.  See below.

     Williams also built the Arnold Wood House in West Cape and the Kennedy Wells House in Cascumpec.