Have you seen these photos before? They belong to a series taken in November 1947 at the laying of the cornerstone of Crawford Park United. This was at the completion of the lower story of the building. The “superstructure” including the current sanctuary, was completed in 1952.
There was a Salvation Army band present for the ceremony and in one of these pictures, the assembled ministers and dignitaries are clearly singing - a hymn, we presume! Somewhere in the records, it probably says what they sang, but I haven’t found it out yet. Apart from the musicians who are not identified, we know that the gentlemen pictured are (left to right)
Rev. J. I MacKay, United Church Superintendent for Eastern Canada.
Rev. J.C. Downing, who had been appointed Minister of Crawford Park Church the previous summer, and had just moved in to the newly-built manse next door.
Rev. J.K Brown, who had been a Supply Minister for the congregation over the previous four years as they worshipped in the schoolhouse.
Edward Wilson, Mayor of Verdun from 1939-1960, wearing his trademark bowtie.
Rev. R. Purvis-Smith, another of the supply ministers from the schoolhouse years
Mr. G. Tetreault, who is mostly hidden here, is a bit of a mystery. At first I thought he was the bricklayer who appears in the other picture. And there is a masonry company in Verdun today with the name Léo Tetreault. However, there was also an alderman (sort of the equivalent of today’s borough councillors) in the 40s named Gérard Tetreault, so it could be him.
Rev. Morrison, Past Chairman of Montreal-Quebec Presbytery.
Rev. Dewitt Scott, Presbytery Secretary.
The cornerstone can still be seen to the right of the front door of the church. It reads “1947”.
