Photo courtesy Don Parsons
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
Trinity United Church in Cookshire is set to commemorate its 161st anniversary this September with a series of events that honour its long-standing history and the deep connections it has fostered within the community. The church, which has stood as a cornerstone of Cookshire since 1863, will host a special service and a concert that blend music, history, and a strong sense of community.
Music and memories
On Sunday, Sept. 8, at 2 p.m., Trinity United will host a free concert featuring musicians Jim Robinson, Susan Fowler, and Ronny Haseltine. This concert is not just a musical performance but a tribute to the community and its people. Jim Robinson, a songwriter and guitarist with deep ties to the area, shared Aug. 30 how his music reflects the lives of those who have shaped him.
“A lot of the songs that I write are about people that I knew during that period of my life, from that particular community,” said Robinson, recalling his youth spent in Bulwer, near Cookshire. He described how the local church played a significant role in his life, not only through weekly services but also through community events like choir practices, weddings, and funerals. “It was a very formative time in my life,” he said.
The concert will feature a mix of original songs by Robinson, traditional hymns, and cover songs, with Fowler providing lead vocals. “Susan’s an excellent singer. She’s sort of the singer in the duo,” Robinson noted. Ronny Haseltine will join them on the violin, adding a touch of traditional sound that resonates with the church’s celebrated acoustics. “Ronny will be playing some fiddle tunes, and he also plays backup fiddle in some of the songs I’ve written and some of the covers we do. It adds that dimension of variety,” said Robinson.
The connection between music and community is a central theme for Robinson, who views this concert as a way to reconnect with the place that shaped him. “While my music isn’t spiritual or presenting any message per se, I think that we connect through music, and that’s the link I’m hoping to experience with those people,” he explained. This connection is what Robinson hopes to foster during the concert, bridging the church’s historical significance with its current role in the community.
A historic landmark
The following Sunday, Sept. 15, at 10:30 a.m., the church will hold a special service to officially mark its 161st anniversary. Don Parsons, a long-time member of the church’s administrative board, offered a detailed look at the church’s architectural and historical importance. “The building was put up in 1863, and it’s a beautiful finish inside, all done in wood. The acoustics in the church are known for their quality, which makes listening to music here a real pleasure,” Parsons remarked in an Aug. 30 interview.
The church’s history is rich with stories of resilience and adaptation. Built with a simple stone foundation, the church underwent significant renovations in 1892, including being lifted to install a new cement foundation that allowed for a basement, church hall, and kitchen. This renovation also brought brown ash wood paneling to the walls and ceilings, enhancing both the aesthetic and acoustic qualities of the space. “The acoustics in the church are so well-regarded that we’ve had concerts here where people find it incredibly easy to listen to the music,” Parsons noted.
The church was originally heated by two wood stoves, replaced in 1892 with a central wood furnace, improving the comfort for the congregation. During the same renovation period, the church added a semi-circular choir loft, a feature that remains a focal point of the building’s interior.
One of the most striking features in the church was its original pipe organ, replaced in 1961 by a Hammond electric organ. Parsons reminisced about the organ from his childhood visits to the church. “As a kid, I remember hearing that beautiful pipe organ and thinking, ‘Oh, isn’t that something?’ It was something special,” he said.
Trials and triumphs
The church’s history has not been without its trials. Around 1900, a lightning strike caused a fire that damaged the steeple. Remarkably, the fire was extinguished before it could destroy the entire structure, though the attic beams still bear char marks as a reminder of the event. “I’ve got an old picture of the church with the steeple all burned down,” Parsons mentioned, a testament to the church’s resilience.
In the following years, the church continued to modernize. Electricity was installed in 1903, and the original benches were replaced in the late 1920s with pews purchased from Picton, Ontario. The church also honours its members who served in the World Wars, with a memorial roll displayed in the church listing the names of local men who served.
In recent years, the church faced another significant challenge when an oil spill occurred in 2020. Parsons recounted the incident: “I went over and turned on the heat one day, and my wife noticed the smell of oil. We discovered that the oil tank was empty, and we had an oil spill that cost about $200,000 to clean up.” Fortunately, the church’s insurance covered half of the cost, with the remaining amount paid from the church’s investments. The incident led to the installation of a new heat pump system, which has since provided a more reliable and safer heating solution.
A celebration of legacy
While Trinity United Church faces the challenges of a dwindling congregation, its 161st anniversary is not just a celebration of its past but a reflection of its enduring legacy. The upcoming events serve as a reminder of the church’s significant role in the community, bringing people together through shared history and music.
While the concert is free, the venue will be collecting voluntary donations for school lunch programs. For more information on the events, you can contact Don Parsons at: 819-875-3796