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from SSP Publications

Readers will appreciate this book of architectural and cultural history, written in an accessible style andenriched with well-chosen colour and black and whitephotographs.

Historic Churches of Prince Edward Island: 3rd edition is a work of love and of an educated eye. Written by retired architect H. M. Scott Smith, also the publisher of SSP Publications, the 221-page book is “not intended as a history text or manual of preservation,” writes Smith in the introduction. Instead, he hopes that it … “will prove to be a useful tool in this conservation effort.” The forty-some buildings included range from urban Gothic cathedrals and basilica to tiny, white-steepled rural churches. Together, they form a durable and cherished part of PEI’s settler history. Smith began research for the first book in 1978. The first edition was published in 1986, the second in 2004. “Islanders are very aware of heritage buildings and the conservation thereof,” says Smith. “Other provinces could learn from them.”

Smith acknowledges the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation, and the work of its past and present members. “It’s remarkable how little has changed over the years,” says the Halifax-based Smith, adding that from edition to edition, “it’s a revelation to see how [well] the churches are doing.” Fortunately, given the 19th century construction of many of the churches, some of these wooden, only three to four churches have “disappeared from the books,” says Smith, and only one is considered “at risk.” A number have been repurposed as community centres or private homes or even dental clinics. The three editions cover over 40 years, updating and highlighting the conservation efforts PEI has made. ■

MARJORIE SIMMINS is a journalist, author, and teacher who specializes in personal narratives and biographies.