Historic Sites of Manitoba: Alexander Presbyterian Church / Alexander United Church (Alexander, RM of Whitehead)

Link to:
Clerics | Photos & Coordinates | Sources

The United church at Alexander, in the Rural Municipality of Whitehead, was designed by Brandon architect Walter Henderson Shillinglaw and built in 1889 for a Presbyterian congregation. The annex and spire were added in 1908. When in 1919 the congregation merged with that of the local Methodist church to form a Union church (United church after 1925), the Presbyterian building continued to be used for services while the Methodist building was sold for use as a Masonic lodge.

Clerics (Alexander Methodist)

Period	Cleric
1881	Thomas Lawson
1883	John Peters
1883-1886	R. Avison
1886-1888	G. K. Adams
1888-1892	A. W. Ross
1892-1893	W. W. Colpitts
1893	J. C. Walker
1894-1902	?
1902-1905	William Somerville
1905-1908	Rev. Robson
1908-1911	H. A. Ireland
1911-1914	W. B. Ambrose
1914-1917	W. E. Egan
1917-1919	J. W. Ridd

Clerics (Alexander Presbyterian)

Period	Cleric
1881	Rev. Hadnott J. H. Cameron
1881-1891	?
1891-1895	George Lockhart
1895-1898	C. McDairmid
1898-1902	John Calder
1902-1906	William Fee
1907-1917	George Lockhart
1917-1919	Hyslop Dickson

Clerics (Alexander United)

Period	Cleric
1919-1921	Hyslop Dickson
1921-1925	J. F. Caldwell
1925-1930	Herbert Thomas Reynolds (1885-1951)
1930-1934	W. A. McKim Young
1934-1938	J. Carlyle Parker
1938-1943	G. A. Dyker
1943-1948	G. A. Colpitts
1948-1950	S. H. Brown
1950-1954	A. R. Robinson
1954-1962	Wallace Ross Donogh (1887-1968)
1962-1967	Carol Roberts
1967-1968	Jack White
1968	Gary Montgomery
1969-1970	Murray Lake
1970-1977	Art Lucy
1977-1983	Ian Harvey
1983-1987	Brian Copeland

Photos & Coordinates

Alexander United Church (October 2017) Source: George Penner Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.83007, W100.29209 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Walter Henderson Shillinglaw (1864-1957)

Sources:

[Tender call], Brandon Sun, 18 July 1889, page 8.

Whitehead Wanderings: 1883-1982 by Whitehead-Alexander Centennial Committee, 1983, pages 16-17.

The Ties That Bind: 100 Years of Memories, 1887-1987, Alexander United Church.

We thank Nathan Kramer, Katherine Macedo, and Robert Hill for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by George Penner.

Page revised: 23 August 2023

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