History of George Street United Church “St. John’s Oldest Surviving Methodist Church” Compiled by Devon Griffin, George Parsons, and Ava Bullen George Street United Church August 22nd, 2019 Table of Contents SELECTING THE CHURCH LAND: .................................................................................................................... 1 CORNER STONE CEREMONY: ........................................................................................................................ 1 BUILDING OF THE CHURCH: .......................................................................................................................... 3 MASTER BUILDER WILLIAM CAMPBELL (1823 - 1886) .............................................................................. 4 THE TRAGEDY OF MASTER MASON RICHARD ATWILL (1828-1873) ......................................................... 5 A FINISHED PRODUCT: .................................................................................................................................. 6 DEDICATION SERVICE ................................................................................................................................ 7 THE BOND BELL ......................................................................................................................................... 8 THE MINISTERS OF GEORGE STREET CHURCH: ............................................................................................. 8 CLASS MEETINGS:.......................................................................................................................................... 9 EARLY PEOPLE OF THE CONGREGATION: .................................................................................................... 10 The Early days: ............................................................................................................................................ 13 District subdivide .................................................................................................................................... 13 Early Sunday school ................................................................................................................................ 14 George street band of hope .................................................................................................................... 15 GEORGE STREET MISSION BAND ............................................................................................................ 16 EARLY DAYS OF THE CHOIR ..................................................................................................................... 17 MOMENTS IN TIME FROM THE NEWSPAPERs: ....................................................................................... 19 TEMPERANCE MEETINGS ........................................................................................................................ 19 THE REIGN OF THE FIVE GEORGES .......................................................................................................... 19 WOMEN’S MISSIONARY SOCIETY: .............................................................................................................. 20 THE ORGAN THROUGH THE YEARS: ............................................................................................................ 22 TURN OF THE CENTURY: ............................................................................................................................. 24 SOUTHSIDE CHURCH ............................................................................................................................... 24 THE FIRST CHURCH EXPANSION .............................................................................................................. 25 WORLD WAR I AND THE ROARING TWENTIES 1910-1930: ........................................................................ 26 FROM THE TRUSTEES REPORTS OF THE 1920s ....................................................................................... 29 THE GREAT DEPRESSION YEARS AND THE GREAT WAR: ............................................................................. 30 FROM THE TRUSTEES REPORTS OF THE 1930s: ...................................................................................... 30 THE RAPID POST-WAR EXPANSION: ............................................................................................................ 31 SECOND BUILDING EXPANSION IN 1959/1960: .......................................................................................... 33 CONGREGATION HIGHS 1960s: ................................................................................................................... 36 Young People’s Union ............................................................................................................................. 37 Men’s Service Club: ................................................................................................................................. 38 Young COUPLEs Club: .............................................................................................................................. 38 ANNUAL SERVICE FOR PEOPLE OF THE SEA: ........................................................................................... 39 LATER WOMEN’S GROUPS: ..................................................................................................................... 40 The 1970S - celebrations and changes: ...................................................................................................... 43 Centennial 1973 ...................................................................................................................................... 43 Action Teams: ......................................................................................................................................... 43 1970s TIDBITS: ........................................................................................................................................ 44 1970s Donations: .................................................................................................................................... 45 1980-2000 Continued worship: .................................................................................................................. 45 1980s TIDBITS: ........................................................................................................................................ 45 1990s TIDBITS: ........................................................................................................................................ 46 2000 to Present, Outreach Work & Time of Transition: ............................................................................. 47 Church’s Response to the 9/11 Tragedy: ................................................................................................ 47 JIMMY PRATT MEMORIAL OUTREACH CENTRE ...................................................................................... 48 21st CENTURY TIDBITS: ............................................................................................................................ 48 NEW BEGINNINGS: .................................................................................................................................. 49 Stories from Long-Time Congregation Members: ...................................................................................... 50 Don Bradbury .......................................................................................................................................... 51 Roger Angel: ............................................................................................................................................ 55 Pauline Murrin: ....................................................................................................................................... 61 Eric Winsor: ............................................................................................................................................. 65 Reg Rumsey: ............................................................................................................................................ 68 Photographs throughout the Years: ........................................................................................................... 71 References .................................................................................................................................................. 73 SELECTING THE CHURCH LAND: Riverhead Area of St. John's Pre-1892 On February 11, 1862 Methodist minister Rev. Edmund Botterell, the Hon. J.J. Rogerson and Captain the Hon. Edward White were appointed on a Methodist church committee that was to search out possible sites for a new church and Sunday School in the Riverhead area. This was in the West End along the Waterford River. Eventually it was discovered this particular area was overflowing and there were many problems in securing a site. In response to the growing Methodist population, Sunday School was held in the meantime at Miss Hamlin’s Day School on Pleasant Street along with prayer meetings on Thursday evenings.37 It was not until almost a decade later, in 1871, when the committee was able to secure land on George Street in a dilapidated residential area where several old houses owned by the Hutchings family were being torn down. The houses were subsequently removed, and the vacant lot was surrounded by blacksmiths' forges,