Description of Historic Place

This former church is located on the north end of Main Street in Murray River. It features a gable roof, wood shingle cladding, pointed arch windows with tracery, and a central entrance tower which clips the front gable. Tall cedar trees stand on either side of the entrance.

Heritage Value

The former church is valued for its association with the history of the Presbyterian and later United Church in Murray River and for its Gothic Revival architectural features.

The congregation dates from 1892 when land for the building was donated by Gavin and Cartney McLure, two local businessmen. The church was completed in 1894 under the direction of John Whiteway. It was then part of a three point Presbyterian charge which included Murray Harbour and Little Sands.

The first minister was Rev. Ewen Gillis who served from 1894 to 1903. At the time of Church Union in 1925, all three Presbyterian churches in the charge joined with the Murray Harbour Methodist Church to become part of the United Church of Canada.

In recent years, the charge has been re-organized and the original churches have been decommissioned. A new church, which was named Memorial United Church, opened in February 2009 to serve the people of the Murray Harbour and Murray River Pastoral Charge.

The former Murray River church has been sold and the current owners plan to operate a restaurant from the building.

Source: Culture and Heritage Division, PEI Department of Tourism and Culture, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8
File #: 4310-20/M36

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the former church is shown in the following character-defining elements:

- the rectangular footprint
- the wood frame and wood shingle cladding
- the gable roof with eave returns
- the hipped roof entrance tower with four corner finials and an octagonal spire
- the Gothic pointed arch windows with tracery
- the shed roofed extension at the back of the building