Link to:
Clerics | Photos & Coordinates | Sources
This church was designed and built between 1853 and 1854 by stonemason Duncan McRae under the personal direction of Archdeacon William Cockran. The foundation stone was laid on 23 May 1853 by Bishop David Anderson, who gave the church its name. It replaced an earlier one built in 1836 a little to the south of the new site. Stone was quarried from the bank of the Red River for the foundation and walls. The final dimensions measured 70 feet long by 40 feet wide. The church served the Aboriginal settlement of the same name established here in 1834, the first attempt at an Aboriginal agricultural community in Western Canada. It was the home church for Chief Peguis, friend and benefactor to the Selkirk Settlers.
During the restoration of the church in 2002-2003, archaeological work in the ground below the floorboards revealed aboriginal artifacts dating back many centuries. In 1963, the St. Peter Dynevor “Old Stone Church” was designated a Provincial Historic Site by the Historic Sites Advisory Board of Manitoba. Commemorative plaques are located next to the front entrance to the church building.
Among the noteworthy people buried in its cemetery are Abraham Cowley and Chief Peguis. A plaque recognizing Peguis as a person of national historic significance was unveiled by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada in June 2017.
Period
Cleric
1831-1839
William Cockran [William Cochrane] (1796-1865)
1839-1851
John Smithurst (1807-1867)
1851-1853
William Cockran [William Cochrane] (1796-1865)
1853-1854
Rev. C. Hellyer
1854-1855
Abraham Cowley (1816-1887)
1855-1856
William Cockran [William Cochrane] (1796-1865)
1856-1867
Abraham Cowley (1816-1887)
1867-1874
Rev. H. Cochran
1874-1875
Rev. J. A. MacKay
1875-1881
Rev. Gilbert Cook
1881-1890
Rev. B. MacKenzie
1890-1909
Rev. John George Anderson
1909-1914
Rev. L. Laronde
1914-1918
Rev. Malcolm Scott
1919-1922
Rev. Alfred Cook
1923-1927
William Tenney (student)
1928-1937
Rev. W. H. Walker
1937-1941
Rev. George Gillespie
1941-1947
?
1947-1950
Rev. George C. Smith
1950-1954
Rev. T. C. Boone
?-?
Sam Cawson
?-?
Brian Orvis
?-?
Deaconess Stapleton
1961
Rev. G. C. Smith
1967
Rev. Adam Cuthand
St. Peter Dynevor Anglican Church (May 2011)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
St. Peter Dynevor Anglican Church (February 2016)
Source: George Penner
St. Peter Dynevor Anglican Church (August 2018)
Source: Rose Kuzina
Aerial view of St. Peter Dynevor Anglican Church (June 2019)
Source: George Penner
Interior of St. Peter Dynevor Anglican Church (August 2005)
Source: George Penner
St. Peter Dynevor commemorative plaque (May 2011)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Chief Peguis commemorative plaque (May 2011)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Grave marker for Chief Peguis at St. Peter Dynevor Anglican Church (May 2011)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Unveiling of Chief Peguis plaque (June 2017)
Source: Rick WishartSite Coordinates (lat/long): N50.18250, W96.83987
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: St. Peter Dynevor Anglican Rectory / Dynevor Indian Hospital / St. John’s Cathedral Boys’ School (1147 Breezy Point Road, RM of St. Andrews)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: St. Peter Dynevor Anglican Church (1087 Breezy Point Road, RM of St. Andrews)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Provincially Designated Historic Sites
Early Red River Homes by Lillian Gibbons
MHS Transactions, Series 3, 1945-46 Season
Beyond the Gates of Lower Fort Garry 1880-1981: R.M. of St. Andrews by Municipality of St. Andrews, 1982, page 65.
St. Peter Dynevor Anglican Church, Manitoba Historic Resources Branch.
We thank Tim Worth, George Penner, Rose Kuzina, and Rick Wishart for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 2 December 2024
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