Barbara A. Martindale- For What It's Worth
One thing leads to another. The Mohawk Chapel, a tourist attraction of the Six Nations, was the topic of an interesting conversation when Barry Hill, chairman of the Mohawk Chapel committee and chapel organist, was purchasing the Grand River, Dundalk to Lake Erie book.
Located in Brantford, the 230 year old National Historic Site Mohawk Chapel of the one-time Mohawk Village, is celebrating its long history with new paint, a cedar-shake style steel roof, new front door, updates to the bell tower, picket fence and stone lookout.
A year and a half ago, the chapel was going into bankruptcy. Since then the Anglican Diocese of Huron made it possible for the Mohawk Chapel-at-ease to stabilize its financial picture.
In order that the chapel receives improvements, the Six Nations Community Trust, the Geo Weston Foundation, the McLean Foundation and the Ontario Trillium Foundation are all providing funds. Six Nations Tourism looks after donations, rentals and other revenues.
The Mohawk Chapel, built by the Crown in 1785, was the first Protestant church in Upper Canada and is the oldest surviving church in Ontario. It is one of two Royal Chapels in North America but the only one located on a First Nation Territory. Over the years, the chapel has undergone many renovations to maintain its longevity.
The history began when representatives (actually they were Sachems, according to history) of the Five Nations visited England from their home in the Mohawk Valley in New York state. They made a request to Queen Anne for a chapel and priest. The request was carried out and the Queen Anne Chapel was built in the Mohawk Valley of New York with a priest provided. Queen Anne presented a Bible, silver communion service, prayer books and other furnishings for her chapel
During the American Revolution, the Bible and silver were buried for safekeeping, but the Queen Anne Chapel was destroyed. When the Mohawk Chapel was completed in 1785, the treasures were recovered and brought from New York State to the new chapel.
The remains of Joseph Brant were moved from the original burial site in Burlington in 1850 to a tomb situated beside the Mohawk Chapel. His son John's remains also rest in the tomb. There is a memorial to Chiefswood's Pauline Johnson at the site too. She attended services in the chapel.
There is so much history to the Mohawk Chapel, impossible to relate in a column. Aside from Thanksgiving and Christmas services in the chapel, there are a number of weddings booked this year for the chapel and more next year.
The eight stained glass windows, not to be photographed, are amazing for visitors. They all tell the story too.
Renovations are scheduled to be completed by September of this year when a special 230th anniversary will be celebrated.
For what it's worth, along with Barry Hill's brief update on the chapel, partial information for this column was taken from "Her Majesty's Royal Chapel of the Mohawks" history on the www.mohawkchapel.ca website.
