Copied from A History of the Scotch Colony: Victoria County, New Brunswick: 1873-1969. Photos and captions are from an unpublished manuscript by Darlene Morton on Scotch Colony Architecture, c.1976.
Section 3
The Community Halls
The building of community halls and forming of clubs was both an outlet and a popular form of Scottish culture.
The Bon Accord Hall
Bon Accord has the honour in the Colony of building the first community hall.
Location: Bon Accord
Date: 1888 to 1893
Built by: Alex [?] Cocker and William Duncan
This is a view of Bon Accord with the hall to the immediate left of the road. Next to it is the church/school, with the Willie MacPhail house and barn to the extreme left.
Funds were raised for the building of the hall by a picnic in August, plays, and basket suppers. The hall is no longer standing. Built by Willam Duncan and Alex Cocker. —from Darlene Morton’s manuscript on Scotch Colony Architecture
In May, 1886, the Bon Accord Dramatic Club was organized with thirty-two members paying a yearly fee of twenty-five cents. Plans were made for raising money for building a community hall.
This was done by holding a Picnic in August and plays followed by basket supper. Proceeds from picnics were usually about $30.00. Scottish sports such as Tossing the Caber (beam or pole), Throwing the Hammer, Putting Stone, and Quoits.
Moneys raised were invested with J. B. Adam at 7 per cent interest until needed.
Frame for hall was cut and prepared during November, 1888. Paid in 1889, $35.00 for 7000 feet of hemlock boards. Paid Cocker & Duncan for boarding, shingling, roof trim, finish of windows, one door and laying single floor, $40.00.
Paid for shingles, $15.00; for 1000 feet flooring, $11.00; 1892, six lamps, $5.25; stove, $8.50; 1893, clapboards, 1400, $28.00; to James Farquhar for clapboarding hall, $20.00; May, 1893, building stage, $7.00; J. Aitken for flue, $20.00; whitewashed outside and in; March, 1896, paid for finish inside of hall, $30.00; chairs, $21.00; 1898, paid James Hutcheon for painting and whitewashing inside of hall, $33.76; December 2, 1902, paid M. S. Sutton for a large stove delivered to Kilburn, $15.00; Organ and organ stool from Eaton’s, November, 1907, $69.00.
Plays were put on in the school house before the hall was built, and “mony” fine plays were put on in the hall when it was finished. Some of those plays were “Rob Roy”, “The Charcoal Burner”, “The Fortune of Nigel”, and others. The actors wore full suitable costumes which were made at home by a seamstress helped by a tailor. There were also variety concerts and Christmas concerts.
Burns Hall, Kincardine
In reviewing the records of the Burns’ Club, we find the club was formed in 1895. At its core we see the natural need of the Scot for sociability, and thereby sustaining and promoting Scottish culture, which has come down to the present day.
The recorded minutes show that the Burns’ anniversaries were first held in the homes. On January 25, 1899, it was agreed to hold the Burns’ anniversary in the Lower Kincardine school house. The membership fee of the Club of 5 cents each was kept on many years.
In 1903 the first move was made towards building a hall, and a building committee was set up. Minutes show why a proper club had to be formed; namely, for the purpose of buying land, obtaining a deed and building a hall. The name given to the Club was Kincardine Burns Club Limited. Mr. Robertson (who was moving away) was thanked for being the president of the club since it was formed in 1895.
A meeting of the Directors shows that an official seal was adopted and a form of stock certificates was displayed to be issued to shareholders. The first Burns Night in the new hall was held on January 25, 1906.
Picture the Colony folk coming by sleighs and long sleds, dressed in the warm winter clothing of the day. Some men were fortunate enough to have a beaver fur coat and maybe a hat to match. The whole family came; once in the sleigh a buffalo robe was tucked around them. Imagine the proud chairman, likely bearded, the enthusiastic performers and attentive audience! When the program was over, several laid behind the curtain for their night’s sleep while their mothers enjoyed dancing.
On the morning of November 3, 1909, Billy and Johnny Young came riding into Sheriffs’ dooryard. Mr. Sheriffs greeted them with the question, “Are ye bearers of bad news?” “Yes, we are. You know we have been practising for a play in the hall to raise money for the church building; we left it last night as near as we could see in safe condition; it burned, and the worst of it is we had Mrs. Pringle’s organ and it burned and we will have to replace it.” They wondered if they could get help. Mr. Sheriffs said, “Yes, you’ll get help and you’ll never be blamed for the loss.”
There was respect shown for the property of others, forgiveness instead of blame given and help to overcome difficulty.
At a meeting November 19, 1909 John A. Clark moved and seconded by Sanford Smith that a new hall be built, 28 ft. by 42 ft. with 16 ft. posts. Carried.
They were determined to have a community center.
Between the year 1909-1911, the Burns Night was held in the Show Shed.
On building the second Burns Hall, a new location was found for it on the Kincardine Road.
In reviewing the minutes of the Burns Club Limited, we noted the business-like manner in which these people conducted their meeting and worked towards a community project.
Mr. John Ellis worked for $1.75 for a 10-hour day in building the new hall which stands on the Kincardine Road. He went beyond his carpentry work and did some artistic scenery on cloth for the back and wings of the stage.
It is found that the Burns Club gave permission to the Agricultural Societv to have the use of the hall free of charge. Also that a fee of $3 be charged to outsiders wanting to use the hall and $2 for dances of a local get-up. Later in 1911, permission was given to the Mission Band to use the hall for programs, free of charge.
Location: Low road, Kincardine
Date: 1911
Built by: John Ellis
Burns Hall was built in 1911 to replace the one which had been built in 1905, and burned in 1909. Originally as is shown in the first picture, the entrance was on the back end. There were three windows on either side with hoods above them as well as above the door. There was no finished basement, the building being supported by posts. The eaves were blocked. Since then, the right front window has been boarded in, and the entrance moved from the end to the side. The chimney is at the back end.
The hall is quite large, measuring 28 feet by 42 feet with 16 feet posts. Visible in the first photograph at the top left is the Manse barn.
[The Kincardine Burns Hall is in use today. The Upper Kintore Hall burned in 1981.]
Sociability extended beyond the confines of its own geographical area and people from neighbouring communities soon began to come, driving in long sleds as much as ten to thirteen miles, asking in advance for chances to stand their horses in at the neighbours stables who lived near the hall (Davidsons’, Niddries’, Chapmans’). Later in the 1930’s “car snowmobiles” came from Perth. As winter roads began to be kept open for cars the horse-drawn sleds became a thing of the past. Today, cars are parked outside the Burns Hall on Burns Night while the audience still listens even more intently to the same familiar Scottish songs. One more recent addition has been members of the Pipe and Drum Band of Southern Victoria who give selections of piping and dancing at our Burns concerts. Six members of the band are young people of our Colony: Isabel LaForest, Upper Kintore; Brian and Avis Clark, Amber, Bonnie and Darlene Morton of Kincardine.
Upper Kintore Hall
The Upper Kintore Hall was built in 1902 by a community frolic*, and was administered by the Upper Kintore Hall Company Limited. Land was donated by David Watson. Funds were raised to buy lumber by having basket socials and pie suppers. The auctioneer might say when auctioning the pies, “Come, now, boys. Bid her up, boys, this is a fine heavy pie!”
Location: Upper Kintore
Date: 1902
Built by: The people of the community
This hall is quite small, with a small stage inside.
The outside was originally clap-boarded, and the four windows along each side are hooded. The entrance, stove and chimney are at the rear. The land was donated for the building by David Watson.
*—”Frolic”. In those days a “frolic” was a community project whereby men gathered to work and the ladies served meals. The WORK was FUN. The project might be a community hall, school or church to be built, or a barn raising for a neighbour. This working together supplied a form of enjoyment and accomplishment. Perhaps in the evening dancing would take place on the newly-laid floor of the new barn — hence we get the term “barn dance”.
These halls served to tie the Colony in a strong bond as it supplied a community center to which all could come for sociability in the way of song, drama and dancing — an outlet for development and enjoyment of the talent that lay within the individual; an enjoyment for performers and audience.
A Burns Night Celebration
Extract from a letter from Rev. Gordon C. Pringle to Mr. Angus Adam, Kincardine, written from Moncton, Jan. 23, 1939.
“Wednesday is Burns – I am sorry I am not there – I was at the first one in the Kincardine school house 46 years ago (1893) – packed like herring in a barrel. O man, what changes!
“Pig In The Bed (Hutcheon); Aberdeen Fish Wife (J.B.); Oor Little Jock (David Lowe); Imphm (G. Barclay); Rabin Harrisons Smiddy (Angus Adam); Tam O’Shanter (Tom Lawson); Cottars Saturday Night (William Paul); Green Grow The Rushes O (Sandy Chapman); A Man’s A Man For A’ That (Andrew Ellis); Ring The Bell Watchman (John Ellis); Scots Wha Hae (Mackie); Laddies At The School (W. Christie); Jean McNeil (J. Drum); Caller Herrin’ (Carrie MoPhail); The Cobbler (Jimmie Clark); Ye Bank & Braes (Willie McKenzie); Man Made To Mourn (Henry Duthie); Guess You Have All Been There (W. Low); Be Kind To Auld Grannie (Jas. Aitken); Arthur Robertson (reading and critic) etc. etc.; I’ve Seen The Day (Archie).
“I wrote a little address and sent it up to read to them in my absence.
They are practising and having a play Peter Farlane’s Roup, I think they call it.
“O Susanna, O don’t you cry for me; I’ve come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee.
“Auld Lang Syne. Now, my dear man, accept my best wishes which are my prayers for the best things I know. Yours truly,
Gordon Pringle.”
Kincardine Burns Hall rental and contact information.
Thanks to Jean Buzzell Duncan for editing and research. Please add you comments and stories.