Archives Corner
Mystery church identified
by Twila Buttimer and Frank Morehouse
Faithful readers of the Archives Corner in the New Brunswick Anglican may recall that in November of 2004 we showed an unidentified Anglican Church and asked if anyone recognized it. No one came up with a positive identification so we assumed that the church had either disappeared or that its appearance had been altered so much that we could not recognize it— even with our collection of recent photos of all 180 churches in the diocese.
Recently, the mystery was solved. The church is St. Paul’s, Dawsonville 
in Restigouche County, which was consecrated in 1896 and de-consecrated in 2003. The difference between its appearance in the 1927 and the 2003 photos told us it had indeed changed so much we could not recognize it.
The Rev. Chris VanBuskirk solved the mystery. In preparing to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the Parish of Moncton where he is rector, he spent a few minutes before Evening Prayer one day exploring the church’s attic in hopes of finding something of historic interest
Find something he did, or should we say some things. What he discovered was a leather box containing 85 glass (or lantern) slides of Anglican churches and Anglican clergy, individually or in groups; as well as two slides that show the Women’s Auxiliary.
Of historic interest is that some of these churches have since disappeared or been significantly altered and these photos show their original appearance. In some cases, these are the only known photographs of these churches.
Amongst the slides is one labeled “Dawsonville, 1927” (top photo). Fortunately for the Archives, Mr. VanBuskirk is a member of the Archives Committee and longtime supporter of the Archives program.
He knew appreciated the historic significance of what he had found. He quickly arranged a trip to the Archives and brought the slides with him.
With only a couple of exceptions, the black and white slides are identified and dated, with a dozen from 1900, two dating to the 1920s but most of them were taken in 1944. There area 59 slides that show churches (mostly exterior), but they are not 59 different churches. For example, there are several photos of the Cathedral. Who took these photos and how they have been used over the years is anybody’s guess.
Please stay tuned to the New Brunswick Anglican, though. The slides have been donated to the Archives and as copies are made, some will appear in upcoming Archives Corner columns.
The Archives Corner is prepared by archivists Twila Buttimer (Twila.Buttimer@gnb.ca or 506-453-4306) and Frank Morehouse (Frankm@nbnet.nb.ca or 506-459-3637). They welcome your comments or suggestions.
Diocesan Communications
23 September 2008
