Heritage & Archives
Gower’s Heritage and Archives Committee oversees the preservation of archival materials and artifacts associated with the church, housed in the Dr. Garfield Fizzard Archives collection at the church. Additional records for the congregation (including some births, marriages and deaths) are held at the United Church Conference Archives in St. John’s (see contacts below).
The Committee’s duties include receiving, conserving, cataloguing, maintaining and managing Gower’s archival collection following professional standards, so that it is accessible to current and future researchers. We also provide information and advice about matters related to the historical nature of the congregation and the church building, assist with heritage interpretation and promotion, and respond to documentation requests. Committee members participate in conferences, lectures and other events relevant to Gower’s religious, social and architectural significance within the city and the province.
The Committee also supports guided Open Doors programs for church visitors and arranges other tours of the historic building. Working with other area churches (Anglican, Presbyterian and Roman Catholic), we participate in group tours of the Ecclesiastical District National Historic Site of Canada and other heritage-related events (see link below).
The church building is itself a Registered Heritage Structure and a unique and important landmark within the St. John’s Ecclesiastical District (Designation of National Historic Significance). Consecrated as Gower Street Methodist Church in 1896, the present structure is the fourth home of the congregation since its founding in 1815 and the third church on the current site between Gower Street and Queen’s Road.
If you would like to visit the Gower archives, are interested in a tour of the building, or have documents or artifacts you wish to donate, please contact heritage@gowerunited.com
Members of the Committee : Robert Pitt (Chair), Dr. James Hiller, Linda White (Archivist) and Ken Peters.
Links:
- Gower History https://gowerunited.com/our-history
- Gower Architecture https://gowerunited.com/building-architecture
- Ecclesiastical District National Historic Site of Canada Tours and Events https://www.facebook.com/DistrictToursNL/
- Heritage Newfoundland and Labrador https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/society/gower-street-united-church.php
- Parks Canada Ecclesiastical District Designation https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_eng.aspx?id=11843
- Archives at the Newfoundland and Labrador United Church Conference Office, contact info4rc16@united-church.ca or telephone: 1-800-268-3781 ext. 614; Website https://ucceast.ca/first-dawn-eastern-edge-regional-council-16/
Dr. Garfield Fizzard (1933 -2019) The first archivist of Gower Street United Church, our collection is named for him, remembering his many contributions to the church and his many hours of work in the archives.
