Monday, September 12, 2016

Pleasant Valley Memorial Church celebrates 30th anniversary

     On Sunday, September 11, 2016 the Pleasant Valley Memorial Church (formerly Pleasant Valley Methodist Church 1876-1925 / Pleasant Valley United Church 1925-1986 ) celebrated it's 30th anniversary of being a memorial church.
     Pleasant Valley United Church was closed in 1986 to amalgamate the Breadalbane Pastoral Charge into one newly expanded church in Breadalbane.  Two churches were closed Rose Valley United Church (now used as a summer home) and the Pleasant Valley United Church (at the time had 60+ children in Sunday School).

     The following article appeared in the Guardian Newspaper on Sat., September 10, 2016.
Church holds celebration marking 30 years being closed
     "A shining white church along the busy Route 2 highway, complete with flowerbeds, is holding a celebration this weekend to mark 30 years of being closed.  It will take place this Sunday at the church, starting at 2:30pm.  There will be music from a harp and small-pipes ensemble, plus a talk about the church's history and future.
     The congregation was devastated in 1986 when the United Church decided to amalgamate churches in the Breadalbane/Cavendish pastoral charge.  
     It meant closing churches in Rose Valley and Pleasant Valley to focus on the creation of a modernized Central Trinity Church in Breadalbane.
     Not to be sidestepped by decisions on high, a local group led by Dorothy Smith went to the United Church board and asked for permission to continue caring for the Pleasant Valley property.
     After some struggle with dis-belief, the group proved it could raise money for maintenance by contacting family of former members of the congregation, mostly living away, and raised enough to meet requirements set out by the United Church administration.
     Years later, the Pleasant Valley group received a massive donation from a family estate in the U.S. to help with restoration work."

Sunday, September 11, 2016

W.H. Weeks - Well known American Architect born on P.E.I.

   The following are excerpts from the pages of a book about and Islander Will Weeks, born in 1864 in Charlottetown.  He became a well known American Architect who began his career in the 1890's.

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Evolution of the Acadian Home - Georges Arsenault

    Last Thursday evening I attended a very interesting talk by Georges Arsenault at the Farmer's Bank Museum in Rustico.   The following is the promotional write-up for the talk...
"a lecture by historian Georges Arsenault, entitled “The Evolution of Acadian Homes”, will take place on Thursday, Sept. 8, at 7:30 p.m.  Arsenault’s illustrated talk will deal with the evolution of Acadian homes in Prince Edward Island over the 18th and 19th century, from the pioneer log homes to the beautiful residences of prominent Acadians. He will present numerous photos of houses from various Acadian regions of the Island and also, in some cases, photos of the people who inhabited them.  Arsenault, who has written many books on Acadian history and folklore, has received many awards over the years. On Canada Day this year, it was announced that he had been named a member of the Order of Canada. Gov.-Gen. David Johnston cited Arsenault in a news conference for his “contributions to the research, conservation and promotion of Prince Edward Island’s Acadian history, culture and traditions”.
     It was interesting to learn of a particular architectural style of expanding a home common to the Evangeline Region of the Island.  When a home owner decided to expand/ modernize his home, the house was lengthen (possibly by 12' or more), the roof pitch raised to be steeper and a steep-roofed centre gable added.  One such example was that of Cajetan Arsenault's home in St. Chrysostome. 
Cajetan Arsenault House, St. Chrysostome, built between 1834-1838.
This would be one such home expanded as illustrated above.
Photo by Carter Jeffery July 20, 2009
See also this article in this blog...