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

St. John's Anglican Church, St. Eleanors

Here's a 1972 article about the oldest Anglican church on Prince Edward Island, built in 1838. The first church was built in 1825 and burned. The parish will celebrate it's 200th anniversary in 2025.

Here are two photos I took on December 24, 2019 when we attended the annual Christmas Eve service. They were building a walkways and ramp at that time, thus the construction out front.

Also, here's a photo of the church I took in the winter of Feb. 21, 2008. The Lych-gate to the left was built in 1967.

Stewart Stone House, Malpeque

STEWART HOUSE at Princetown. This fine stone house in Malpeque, which was originally called Princeton and was to have been the capital of Prince County, has over the door of the year “1820” “Charles A. Stewart.” This Mr. Stewart or his father was the second Chief Justice of Prince Edward Island and he lived there in Malpeque as it was expected to become a large commercial center. The house has a beautiful locality, situated overlooking Malpeque Bay. It is still in excellent condition. (P.E.I. Historical Society).

OLD ISLAND LANDMARKS RECALL PIONEER TIMES The picture shown above is one of a series taken by the late Mr. James E. Harris, of Charlottetown which will appear from time to time in The Guardian, illustrative of old Prince Edward Island landmarks. They are being published with notes prepared for the most part by Mr. Harris, through the courtesy of the P.E. Island Historical Society. Some years ago, Mr. Harris used the pictures to illustrate an address from which the following excerpts are taken. “Visitors come to P.E. Island, and we like to show the beauties of our lovely Island, but we need more than fine beaches, good bathing, good fishing and golf courses; these can be had elsewhere. Donald Maxwell in England, among many others, has created a great interest in the byways and the little forgetten villages, and we could very possibly build up interest and a trade for our artists in pictures and photographs of our little-known side roads and architecture of earlier days, whether house, church, old mills, or fishing ports."