St. Patrick's Church Pioneer Cemetery - Grand River, PEI - Worldwide Cemeteries on Waymarking.com

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St. Patrick's Church Pioneer Cemetery - Grand River, PEI

in Worldwide Cemeteries

Posted by:  T0SHEA

20T E 430035 N 5150812

This beautiful old English Gothic church has attached to it a pair of cemeteries, this one, the Pioneer Cemetery and a larger and newer one across the road.

In part a product of well known Island architect, William Critchlow Harris, this church began to become reality in 1936 under the direction of the Rev. Bernard Donald MacDonald, replacing the 1818 replacement for the log church built on the property in 1810. The identity of the original designer, if known, is not mentioned in the Historic Places Canada Statement of Significance. In Rev. MacDonald's absence, the interior of the church came into use in 1939 yet remained unfinished until 1844, this time under the close scrutiny of the Rev. James McDonald.

In 1890 the church received an upgrade and enlargement courtesy of Harris. On March 26, 2010 the church was formally recognized as a Provincial Heritage Place.

The Grand River Pioneer Cemetery, adjacent to the church, was consecrated on St. Patrick's Day of 1818, the year of completion of the second church on the site. In later years the cemetery was in need of expansion. The new section, now considered a separate cemetery and named St. Patrick's Cemetery, is located across the road from the church. The Pioneer Cemetery accepted its final burial in 1881. At that time there had been approximately 60 known burials in the cemetery.

A plaque honouring 29 pioneering families of the parish was unveiled at Grand River Pioneer Cemetery on May 25, 2014 at the celebration of the 175th anniversary of St. Patrick's Church.